


De Amantium Fabula

by Beatrix_Bilqis



Category: Hannibal (TV), Hannibal Lecter Series - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ancient Greece & Rome, Ancient History, Characters from both books and TV series, Characters' names were changed/slightly altered to match the period, Did I already mention that I am far too meticulous for my own good?, Dissociation, F/F, F/M, Gladiators, Hallucinations, Hannibal Lecter Loves Will Graham, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I have no idea where this is going so tags will be changed/added, I mean I do but also I don't, Lots of Latin and Ancient Greek 'cause school made me study that shit, M/M, Mentions of PTSD, Past Abuse, Quotes from TV series/movies/books, References to Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Slavery, Ye Olde Typical Hannibal-esque Gruesome Scenes™, so I can be legit OCD about it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:40:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 24
Words: 35,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24727627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beatrix_Bilqis/pseuds/Beatrix_Bilqis
Summary: Set during the Roman Empire, Gwilherm (Will Graham) is a prisoner from Corinth brought to Capua by his lanista Iacomus (Jack Crawford) to become a gladiator, until a distinguished Roman nobleman notices him during a fight and takes just a little too much of a liking to the greek man.[Warning for unapologetic SMUT on chapter 19]
Relationships: Alana Bloom/Margot Verger, Bella Crawford/Jack Crawford, Francis Dolarhyde/Reba McClane, Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter
Comments: 48
Kudos: 160





	1. The man from Corinth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there! Welcome to my new story! You'll see a lot of notes on each chapter because as you may have already noticed I'll be using a lot of specific terms. You can find every single information on the Internet, but I get that some readers don't really want to waste their time so I'll explain as much as I can through the A.N.s!
> 
> [ Mi scuso in anticipo con le lettrici provenienti dall'Italia, cercherò di essere il più accurata possibile sia nella storia che nei memo ma sono passati circa 4 anni da quando sono uscita dal liceo classico e chiaramente molte cose non saranno esatte al 100%, abbiate pietà di me :) ]

Light slithered through the small holes between the wooden boards that covered the caravan the man had been tossed into without much regard. He squinted his eyes and slowly regained consciousness, carefully studying his surroundings.

" _Bona evigilatio_ " greeted him a slim man with dark curly hair sitting not far from him.

He looked at him in confusion.

The interlocutor tried again: "You don't speak the language of the _Imperium_?"

He shook his head.

"You should learn, giving where they're bringing us"

"Where?" he asked with a coarse voice.

" _Capua_ "

" _Capua_? As in _Capua, Italia_?"

The man chuckled, "Where else, hm?"

"By the way, I'm Brianus. What's your name?"

"Gwilherm. Call me Will"

"Doesn't sound very greek to me"

Will's question was cut short by the man's unsolicited explanation: "These guys talk about you a lot. Found you passed out in a prison in _Kórinthos_ , sold out for small change"

"Mother was _Korínthia_ , father was from _Britannia_. That's where I got my name"

"Care to share why you got imprisoned? You don't look like trouble"

Will's gaze went to his own feet. "I had a wife, and a son; killed by a man who happened to be a very important roman. I wanted revenge, and they locked me up"

"I'm... sorry about your loss" 

He shrugged. "Why are we going to _Capua_ , of all places?"

"We are to become _gladiatores_ , and Capua has some of the best _gladiatorum ludi_. Our _lanista_ must be one wealthy and respectable man, if he lives there"

"I see"

They didn't really talk about themselves for the rest of the journey. Will tried to get a grasp on latin as best as he could, knowing full well he wouldn't be able to hold much conversation in greek from that moment on.

After a few weeks the carriage finally reached their destination. The roman city basked in the morning's sunlight, shiny and opulent; a different beauty from _Kórinthos_ , bigger and too garish, much to his distaste. And the stench was unbearable.

The house of their _lanista_ was a bit more on the countryside, around half an hour from the busy roads filled with ill-matched buildings. They walked past the walls surrounding the villa, and paced through a small garden without many decorations. A tall man with dark skin and short grey hair was waiting for them at the entrance of the building.

"Ah, you finally arrived" the man said in perfect latin, even though there was a small trace of an accent Will did not recognize.

"Both of you can go, now. As for my new students, you both come with me for the evaluation"

The greek man and his travelling companion did as instructed, following the man through the house and out again on a field where a bunch of men trained with swords, and into a small building at the end of the training area, filled with weapons and armors from wall to wall. The taller man turned around with a kind smile.

"I'm your _lanista_ , but you can call me Iacomus. Not a huge fan of formalities"

Will took a better look at him. He was not only very tall, but also strong-built, although with an overall calm appearance. Iacomus wore a simple white linen tunic, something too plain and modest for a man of his status, and a leather belt on his waist carried a _rudis_.

"I'm going to take a better look at both of you, and decide what kind of _gladiatores_ you are to become. Undress"

__The greek man looked at Brianus, unsure of what to do, then followed him suit and removed the raggedy cloth that covered his body._ _

__Their owner was particularly curious about the corinthian. "Malnutrition really pulled a toll on your height. Remove the beard and you wouldn't look a day over fourteen years old"._ _

__He pointed at the milky streaks all over the shorter man's body; "Those are some nasty scars. Did your father beat you a lot?"_ _

__"War"_ _

__"So you have experience on the battlefield. Good". Then he spoke to the other one "Your skin is far too white and your body far too undeveloped to be a man of action. Were you a man of knowledge?"_ _

__"I was a physician"_ _

__"We can always use another good healer around the villa. You can go"_ _

__Will's companion walked outside, leaving the two of them alone._ _

__"So what's your name?"_ _

__"Gwilherm"_ _

__"Gwill-eh?"_ _

__"Will"_ _

__"Right. Your face is very hellenic to be that exotic, so you must be a mixed-blood"_ _

__"I am"_ _

Iacomus smiled. "I am, too. Mom was from _Mauritania_. See? We already have something in common. You can lower your guard around me now, those eyes are drilling holes through my skull"

__Will didn't trust him. His calm appearance couldn't fool him._ _

__The warm smile on his owner's face slowly faded. "I was like you once. I've been a _gladiator_ for ten years. This you see right here"- he said while pointing at the small wooden sword on his belt -"was given to me by my master when he freed me"_ _

__"Who was he?"_ _

__"My father"_ _

The greek man didn't reply. He tried on every armor handed to him, held every weapon offered, not allowing even a single word out of his lips. That man sure was weird: such familiarity wasn't fit in a slave-owner situation like theirs; probably a habit he developed before being granted the _rudis_.

__The fighters all had dinner in the same room, sitting along tables in dark wood and eating a simple but tasty dinner. Will sat as far as he could from anyone else, avoiding to rise gaze from his own plate. Then they went back to a larger room filled with mattresses and linen covers; while the others cheered and drank the wine left from dinner, he went straight to bed, uninterested by the whispers about him. He had been introduced as a fellow gladiator by Iacomus, but didn't utter a single word to any of them the whole day._ _

Next day he woke up at dawn as everyone else, had a frugal breakfast made of milk and some bread and headed to the training field, where their _lanista_ was already waiting.

__"We'll have to practice even harder starting from today. Our season is about to begin, and I don't want any of you to die like an amateur. Train well, and you will be rewarded with fame and glory" he said, then looked at the newbie._ _

__"You, come here. Show me what you got"_ _

__Will was handed a wooden sword, and turned around to see his opponent: a blond man with the body and the eyes of a bear. The menacing figure smirked, clearly unthreatened by the not-so-intimidating appearence of the hellenic man, and carelessly toyed with his weapon._ _

__"This must be a joke"_ _

__"Then go easy on him"_ _

__"I'll try"_ _

__The answer amused Iacomus, who stood between the two men with his arms crossed._ _

__"You both know a thing or two, so I expect a good show"_ _

__They both prepared to fight. Will slightly parted his legs and bent his knees, ready to defend himself from his opponent._ _

__The first strike came, and he easily blocked it, startling the man. Then a second and a third came, both swiftly dodged by the shorter man, who immediately went for the stomach with his elbow. His opponent gasped, suddenly deprived of oxygen, and jumped back in surprise. The unexpected ability of the greek man pissed him off, making him huff loudly and look more and more like a wild beast._ _

__Will prepared for a second strike. The taller man prepared to counterract, but was quickly outrun by the opponent, who was already behind him to deliver a strong blow on his scruff, making him fall on his knees._ _

__Iacomus laughed and clapped loudly for the winner. "Looks like you don't need to go easy on him after all"_ _

__The defeated man grunted but didn't say a word, simply walking back to his companions._ _

__"You're a natural. How did you know what to do?"_ _

__"I just knew"_ _

His _lanista_ chuckled: "You can see through your enemy and predict his moves". Then he turned round, calling on the others: "That's talent for you. Understand your enemy, see through his eyes; it's the quickest way to defend yourself and win. And don't forget to make it entertaining. It is your job"

And so days passed. Everyone trained hard for the incoming _Ludi_ , trying to become as skilled as possible, hoping to be noticed and have their moments of glory.

Some of the fighters had voluntarily come to Capua to become famous, and Will despised those men even more than the rest. He hated fighting, hated being in company of people who couldn't think of a more reasonable way to live than to die for ten minutes of attention from a bunch of snooty rich Romans or succumb in the fight.

He didn't have a choice. He had been brought there by force, and even if he'd try and escape, there was no home or family waiting for his return.

The _Ludi_ began in around a week, and Iacomus' _gladiatores_ were brought to an arena near the city. "Fight well, always aim for the best, and one day you'll perform in the _Amphitheatrum Flavium_. That's where you'll really be noticed". Murmurs of excitement crowded the room.

"What's that?" Will asked Brianus, who had accompanied the crew as a physician and was tying the laces of the greek's breastplate.

"The most famous arena in the world. Only renowned and skilled _gladiatores_ are good enough to make it there. The Emperor himself attends the fights there, along with noblemen and members of the Senatus"

__"And why should I entertain the thought of surviving a massacre just to get to an even bloodier and messier one?"_ _

__"Because if you're liked by the sponsors, someone might buy you and grant you freedom, one day"_ _

" _Malakíes_ "

__"Do you have a better choice?"_ _

__"I guess not"_ _

__"Exactly" Brianus remarked, strapping a little too tightly one lace._ _

Iacomus walked towards him. "You'll be presented as an _essedarius_ "

"But _essedarii_ are to fight only against other _essedarii_. Plus he's a newbie, it would be best to have him alongside a gladiator already introduced" interrupted him a man.

"He's got skill and some Britannia blood. He'll make a good show"

He lead Will to an _esseda_ dyied in a deep cyan and lead by a pair of very showy white horses.

__"These horses are very distracting. I'll be either killed or laughed at"_ _

__"You need to be shown off. That's what it's all about: who makes it more entertaining and theatrical"_ _

The more his _lanista_ taught him about a gladiator's life, the less he wanted to be a part of it.

"Forget about your real name when you're out there. From now on, you'll be _Achilléus Korínthios_ in the arena"

__"My name works perfectly fine. Why should I change it?"_ _

__"Because it is too exotic for a man of your traits and I have a stroke every time I try to pronounce it. Besides, this one is quite catchy, no?"_ _

__"If you say so"_ _

__"Cheer up. I have a feeling your name will echoe through these walls before dinner time"_ _

__"I'm not fighting to get attention. I'm only protecting myself"_ _

__"Of course"_ _

__Will looked in front of him, to the gate that was about to go upwards and reveal him to the spectators and his opponent. No amount of encouragement could calm him, his heart was thumping loudly as fear crawled through his spine and made the back of his neck burn._ _

__Suddenly he was surrounded by light as the entrance to the arena opened, with the fragorous cheers from the spectators too loud for him to process and the stench of blood and sweat crawling uninvited in his nostrils._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -"Bona evigilatio", Italians still use this form of greeting as "ben svegliato/a", which sometimes has a sarcastic undertone to it. I think the best english translation would be "rise and shine", even though it literally means "good awakening";
> 
> -Some terms used by Will come from ancient greek, like "malakies", which in this case means "bullshit";
> 
> -"Lanista"s owned the fighters (that is, the eslaved ones; some men became gladiators out of their own free will, so they were just considered "students" of the art of fighting) and had their own schools (oftentimes they would also teach personally, as in most cases lanistas were former gladiators); "Gladiatorum ludi" means school for gladiators, not to be confused with "Ludi", which are public games sponsored by the State, mostly held during religious festivities;
> 
> -Jack's "rudis" is a simple wooden sword similar to the gladius vastly used for training sessions; when offered to a slave by its owner (strictly in the gladiators world), it's a symbol of the gladiator being granted freedom (also, even though Jack's father was a nobleman, his mom was a slave, so he was considered a slave and an illegitimate son of a noble);
> 
> -"Essedarius" is a particular type of gladiator. While there were many showdowns held on wheels, the essedarii would usually fight amongst themselves. The term comes from the carriage used, the "esseda", typical of Gallia and Britannia (one of the reasons why I chose this role for Will)


	2. First encounter

Will was not ready. There was nothing that could prepare him for the chaotic and brutal show that his life had become. He knew he would have died sooner or later, just didn't want it to be a painful experience. It was like the war all over again, and his brain still had to heal from other fatal wounds.

His thoughts went to his wife and his son, their corpses thrown in some unknown ditch left for the bugs to eat. He couldn't give them a proper burial.

The awful stench of the arena didn't even show a sign of decreasing, making his stomach clench and his eyes teary. Although the smell of rotting flesh and blood was familiar to him, never had he ever smelled it in such a strong tone.

A man was standing right in the center, waiting for him and his opponent to reach him; he clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white, mortified by his own ridiculous appearance, and made his way.

"...today I present you a new face!..." the man said among other things Will didn't understand, probably stuff he didn't even have to worry about.

"He's _Achilléus Korínthios_! Let's see if he's really worthy of being compared to the son of _Thétis_!"

The crowd cheered, inebriated by the strong wine and ready to see the slaughter. Will spotted his _lanista_ on the lower stands, sitting next to a woman with big black eyes and the complexion of dark honey; she was undoubtedly beautiful, and although a glowing smile adorned her face, something in the overall aura made her look frail and exhausted.

Then he looked at his enemy: tall and menacing. Of course he was. The greek man was almost exhasperated by the fact that every single fighter he had encountered had the body of the almighty _Heraklés_ , but it also meant that he had agility and speed on his side, which would come in handy in a fight on wheels.

Both the gladiators crossed their spear one against the other, ready for the announcer to give the sign.

Everything was a blur from that moment on.

Will immediately whipped his horses and began drawing circles around the arena with his _esseda_ , waiting for the enemy to reach him, and he was not disappointed: the taller man in the crimson _esseda_ followed him suit, thrusting his weapon in the air in multiple attempts to get to him. After the third or fourth attempt he hit the shorter man's shoulder, gaining a pained grunt and the first sight of blood in their encounter.

The greek immediately went for the counterract, drawing the small sword from its holster and cutting in half his enemy's spear, which was immediately thrown away; then he grasped his own lance once again and wagged it behind him blindly, still trying to focus on where he was going with his chariot. And that was when he got an idea: he stopped his horses as quickly as he could, allowing the other _esseda_ to surpass him, and went for the blow, slipping his weapon in the enemy's wheel, succesfully startling him and almost toppling the crimson carriage. 

The taller man barely managed to regain control on his own chariot, but once he did he prepared to hit the other gladiator in order to throw him off the track, maybe even destroy the cyan _esseda_. Will quickly understood his opponent's intentions, but was unable to act in time: he was thrown on the ground in a mist of dust and dirt, badly landing on his back. The pain was indescribable, but he knew he had to get up if he wanted to survive.

The crimson chariot was still circling around him, preventing him to hit the other gladiator or even defend himself when the other man's sword cut new wounds all over his body. Then he noticed one of his white horses had survived the crash and was still in the arena, rearing in confusion. Will immediately ran towards the animal and mounted him, trying to ignore the pain caused both by his wounds and the fact that he was riding bareback a horse; as showy as the white creature was, it was still faster than his enemy's and the greek reached his opponent in mere seconds and cut a deep slash on the other's back, making him lose his grip on the reins and falling back on the ground as well. Now they'd both have to fight on feet.

Will quickly dismounted from his horse and prepared to attack, but the taller man quickly rose his sword up and struck down with a great deal of strenght, almost cutting his arm off completely. The greek man barely managed to stop the assault with his own weapon, but the difference in muscles made his arms painfully sore after resisting for a couple of minutes, forcing him to kneel and keep his defense. His enemy didn't show any sign of fatigue, effortlessly keeping him down on the ground and unable to counterract; his sword was now touching the shorter man's flesh between the neck and the shoulder, drawing a small trickle of blood.

With his arms ready to give up on him any time soon, Will had to be smart once again: he noticed the spear he had cut in two laying far behind the enemy, and saw in that shiny and pointed weapon his safety. He headbutted his opponent, startling him and forcing him to back away a few steps, then went for his stomach, hitting it as hard as he could with his heel, making the other man groan in deep pain and loudly hit his back on one of the arena's wooden gates, leaving him breathless.

Noticing the tall man was slowly getting up once again, he knew that he wouldn't get lucky a second time; running as fast as his burning feet allowed him, Will reached the broken spear, and without thinking twice, he threw it with all his upper body's strenght against the other man, affixing him to the wooden gates with a deadly precise strike on the larynx: his eyes rolled back and blood slowly gushed out of the dead body's neck.

The crowd that had been shouting and cheering throughout the whole encounter immediately went silent. Will was confused: wasn't that the reason they came to the arena? To see men die in the most excruciatingly painful ways?

The announcer huffily made his way into the arena, running towards the greek man.

" _Estne ille mortuus?_ "

Will nodded.

Everyone began booing and shouting " _Nugator! Nugator!_ "

Roman people were more complicated than he thought.

He was abruptly dragged away from the arena by Brianus. 

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I can't believe you! You slayed him!" the physician answered.

"Wasn't that what I'm supposed to do?"

"Well yes, but no"

"I do not understand you"

"You shouldn't kill _kill_ your opponent. Not unless they give you the _pollex versus_ "

"He would have done me in! I had to defend myself"

"He wouldn't. That's against the rules"

"To hell with your rules! That bear of a man was this close to cut my arm from the rest of my body, and losing a limb is not my design"

A thunderous laughter filled the room they were in, and Iacomus appeared, clapping with an amused look on his face.

"You gave them one hell of a show. That was the best thing I've seen in the last three _Ludi_ "

A scrawny looking man walked nervously towards them: "Iacomus! I will not tolerate this! Your newbie just killed my best _essedarius_! You'll have to refund me"

"Oh, _tacete!_ " said the taller _lanista_ with a dismissive hand gesture, "You'll be generously repaid". 

The jittery smaller man left the room with a grunt, not really satisfied with the outcomes.

Then Iacomus looked at Will once again and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Trust me, they loved you. Rules are rules, but a good show is even better, and you delivered. They'll cheer for you when you go back there, so don't worry. Just... don't make me shell out too many coins today, okay?"

The greek man flinched at the uninvited touch and didn't answer.

"Brianus, take care of his wounds. He'll have to be neat and patched up in three rounds"

The physician nodded and immediately got to work, tending to Will as good as he could in the given time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Essedarii were usually equipped to fight both on chariot and land, so they had long range weapons as well as short range ones, sometimes along with a big oval-shaped shield. Their armor consisted of helm, armguards, greave and lorica manica (armguards of some sort made of iron or bronze that would usually cover the whole arm);
> 
> -"Estne ille mortuus?", "Is he dead?";
> 
> -"Nugator!", "Cheater!";
> 
> -"Pollex versus", "Thumbs up". Whether the defeated gladiator was to die or to be spared, it was up to the cheering crowd. They'd give "thumbs up" if they wanted to have him killed (as it recalled a drawn sword) or keep the thumb hidden in their fist (sword in its holster) if they wanted to spare the loser's life (sorry to disappoint, but the whole "thumbs up" and "thumbs down" thing was wrongly perpetrated both by later sources and Hollywood movies); 
> 
> -"Tacete!", "Shut up/be quiet!"


	3. The dull life of a senator

Hannibal Vergilius Lector Iunior was on the stairs of the _Curia Julia_ , finally heading home after an excruciatingly long day of debating over matters of next to no importance to him; although he had been blessed from early childhood with an outstanding intelligence and a silver tongue skillfully trained in the _ars oratoria_ by the best _rhetores_ , the matters of the _res publica_ bored him beyond any limit. Such vivid mind made most of his daily duties dull, and the kind of people to be found in the _Senatus_ made such obligations even more nagging; Fredericus Cittinius Gallus was a prime example of those gruesome cases. 

As his _supernomen_ suggested, his family came from Gallia, but a series of fortunate connections and overall dignified assets allowed them to move to Roma and turn their _gens_ ' name into a respectable one. Cittinii had no problem crawling their way to the top, bribing someone along the road, and Fredericus was the epitome of everything his family embodied: selfish, calculating and most of the time unpleasant to have around.

Hannibal was deeply disgusted by how, to him, ends always justified the means; not that Romans were all that different, but they somehow preserved their dignity through the _mos maiorum_. He himself had learnt about it when his father, Hannibal Vergilius Lector Senex, had brought him there. His young wife, Claritia Martial Sturnus, was granted both beauty and slyness (which made her an extravagant woman but the main reason her husband loved her so dearly) at the cost of infertility; that lead them to adopt a little boy from an exotic tribe located near _Mare Suevicum_ , mentioned in a letter from a relative of Lector's in _Dacia_ for his ability to speak with ease many languages and to memorize entire books with just a quick read.

That same child grew up to become a fine man with a simple yet elegant taste and natural charisma. His face didn't show those classic hellenic features found in the statues of _Apollo_ : wide forehead, long nose and thin lips gave out his northern origins but also a cold and mysterious beauty.

"You did great, as usual" greeted Fredericus, running to catch up with him.

" _Gratias tibi fa_ " 

"Where are you going?"

"Home"

"Look at you, strictly dedicated only to _Senatus_ and family! Don't you ever have fun outside?"

Hannibal didn't answer.

"Let's go to a _taberna_! Or would prefer a _lupanarium_?"

"You're being awfully persistent today. What do you want?"

"I want you to have fun! You always seem so uptight and bored, so I thought a little distraction was in order" Fredericus answered, laying an arm around the taller man's shoulders.

"Perhaps another time"

"Fine, fine, I'll let you go for today. But when _Ludi_ will begin, I want you to come to Capua with me to see Iacomus' new _gladiatores_. He told me he got his hands on this really promising man from Greece, it must be quite the show!"

"And why would I want to accompany you?"

"He told me this man is a mixed-blood. Face of _Ganymédes_ and the eyes of the _Aegaeum_. They call him _Achilléus Korínthios_ "

" _Achilléus_ , huh? Charming. Sounds like a pompous fop"

"Iacomus gave him the name. Said his original one was almost unpronounceable: something from Britannia, maybe?"

"Such beauty seems to be a waste in the arena"

"That's why I want you to come with me! You always had a weak spot for beautiful things, maybe he'll find his way into one of your drawings?"

Hannibal took some minutes to think about the offer; sure, it was really tempting to see such a man, but that also meant he'd have to put up with Fredericus and Iacomus. And that wouldn't have been as amusing.

"Fine, I'll come with you" was the final answer. If he refused, he'd never hear the end of it from his tedious companion.

Days passed, and _Ludi_ finally began. The two men headed towards Capua, to a small and anonymous arena where their _lanista_ acquaintance usually brought his fighters. The gaul man began from an early hour to drink wine and cheer loudly along with the crowd, while the other had absent-mindedly followed only a few encounters, too focused on his own drawing.

Then, the announcer caught his attention: "...today, I present you a new face!..."

There was _Achilléus Korínthios_ , in all his tawdry glory. Hannibal's face winced at the awful show of second-rate white horses and a terrible cyan coloured _esseda_. His corinthian crested helm was the only thing that made him vaguely resemble the _Divus Achilléus_. His face was almost completely covered, but the very noticeable acquamarine eyes struck the senator almost immediately with their beauty.

Even though the greek man looked way too short and slim to be a _gladiator_ , Hannibal was pleasantly surprised to see he had agility and speed, along with a remarkable resistance. His opponent was covering him in cuts, but he wasn't showing even the slightest falter. Then he admired how the toned muscles on the man's legs flexed as he sprinted towards the severed spear laying on the ground, how his arm arched elegantly when he threw the weapon towards his enemy.

He smiled in amusement. The greek man had been looking like a scared prey throughout the whole encounter, but in a single moment he became a sleek and deadly predator.

Everyone around him began shouting " _Nugator! Nugator!_ " but he paid little to no mind to those fools. No one but him had seen the real beauty of the fight, how a single man had turned a barbaric form of entertainment into one of the purest shows of sportmanship, how lovely his opponent looked with the mouth slightly agape and the small trickle of blood slowly making its way down the neck.

Yes, _Achilléus_ was far more interesting than he had anticipated.

"Well... this day has been quite... interesting" pondered Fredericus.

"It certainly was"

"By the way, Iacomus is having a feast back to his villa. We've both been invited, of course. Would you like to come?"

"Thanks, but I'll pass"

"C'mon, it'll be fun! Plus, I'm sure he'll be more than happy to answer your every question about the _Korínthios_. Maybe he'll even make you both meet"

"I think you had too much wine"

"And you definitely haven't been ogling the newbie from the moment he set foot in the arena"

"My point exactly"

"Just come with me. Please?"

"Alright alright, just _tacete_ "

Fredericus smiled as they both walked towards Iacomus' _villa_ in the sunset.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -I changed some names to their Latin version or one as close as possible to the original, only taking some freedoms with the gens (family) name to make them convincing, so I apologize in advance if they're not clear or too articulate, but Roman onomastics aren't eactly the easiest thing on Earth, especially for non-Latin names. (Hannibal Iunior is of course Mikkelsen' Hannibal, Fredericus Esparza's Chilton, Hannibal Senex Hopkin's Hannibal, Claritia Foster's Clarice and Iacomus Fishburne's Jack Crawford);
> 
> -Curia Julia was a building funded by both Caesar and Augustus, seat of the Senatus until late ancient era;
> 
> -"Ars oratoria", the art of being eloquent and write speeches, was necessary for any relevant position in society, from senators to attorneys; orators and "rhetores" studied such art and taught it in schools;
> 
> -"Res Publica", literally "Public things", it means "public matters", aka the State and its government;
> 
> -Adoption was a largely common use in Ancient Rome, even between members of the same gens (Augustus, for example, was Caesar's grandnephew before adoption);
> 
> -"Mos Maiorum" was an unwritten set of ethic principles and moral uses from Romans' traditions, similar to what is now considered etiquette;
> 
> -"Mare Saevicum", Baltic Sea (Baltic regions were vastly inhabited by tribes at the time);
> 
> -"Gratias tibi fa", literally "I give you thanks", was the Latin way to thank someone;
> 
> -"Taberna", pub / "Lupanarium", brothel (in ancient Rome prostitution was legal and brothels were openly frequented even by prominent figures, although male and female prostitutes, which in most cases were freed slaves or liberti, were seen as socially disgraced people);
> 
> -"Ganymédes", prince of Troy who was said to be the most beautiful young man of his age; according to the myth, Zeus fell in love with his beauty and kidnapped the boy to make him his cupbearer on Mount Olympus;
> 
> -"Aegaenum", Aegean Sea;
> 
> -"Divus", "Divine" in Latin; one of Achilles' epithets.


	4. Preys and predators

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today I wanted to be particularly meticulous and inserted quotes from both the TV series and Red Dragon (book&movie). Enjoy!

They arrived at Iacomus' villa when the sun had already set and the small strip of orange at the edge of the skyline was slowly being replaced by purple and dark blue.

"Welcome" greeted them the _lanista_.

"Hello Iacomus. Bella" nodded Hannibal.

"It's always such a pleasure to have you here" smiled the woman.

"Pleasure's all mine-"

"Soooo... quite a show it was today, huh?" interrupted Fredericus. Hannibal grimaced at the rude, sudden interruption.

"You can say that again. I knew he was a natural"

"I just hope no further repercussions will be taken against him, dear" considered his wife.

"He's a newbie, he was bound to make a mistake. I'll pay the compensation and everyone will move along"

"He's got guts for being a newbie" joked the gaul.

Iacomus' laughter rumbled loudly. "Of all the things I'd expected to see today, I must say, to witness something like that wasn't part of it. But I'm mostly concerned about what happened in the aftermath"

"What do you mean?" asked the senator.

"You see, after his first fight, he had to wait three turns and then was bound to come out once again"

Fredericus voiced his doubts: "But... we didn't see him after that" 

"Exactly. One of my physicians was tending to his wounds and he told me he'd been trembling and sweating profusely the whole time, face white as a sheet and void eyes. I expected him to be used to blood and stuff since he told me he's fought in a war, but I guess no one ever really does"

"War?"

"Yeah. The day he came I checked him. His body is covered from head to toe in very nasty scars, and he told me he was an _oplítaes_ before being tossed into prison. At first I was confused - I mean you saw him! He is too short and slim for his age. Malnutrition, no doubt about it"

"Being used to little to no food can actually help in a war situation. Famine oftentimes makes a real massacre amongst the ranks" replied Hannibal.

"Well, yes, but a touch of brute force never goes to waste in the arena! He'll have to either get smart or die in the fight, because not every _gladiator_ in Roma is a brainless giant like the _essedarius_ he faced today!"

"I'm sure he'll surprise us"

"Let's hope so. I'd hate to have wasted money on him; I must say, however, that he really has to deal with huge amounts of fear. I guess it comes with his imagination?"

"Imagination?" asked Fredericus.

"I noticed that as well. What he has is pure empathy. He can assume your point of view, or mine - and maybe some other points of view that scare him. It’s an uncomfortable gift, Iacomus. Perception's a tool that’s pointed on both ends" answered Hannibal

"Yes, I think so too. But he's just too good for me to just have him around the house to do trivial chores. The man's got talent"

"But he hates this talent of his, and I suspect the fight reminds him of unpleasing war times. Maybe lay him off a bit?"

"I think it's too soon for his fate to be decided and too late for us to discuss such matters. Why don't you walk in and join the banquet?" asked politely Bella, bringing the topic off of Will.

"Of course. Let's" nodded her husband.

The four of them headed inside the villa to the already served feast. They ate, drank and kept each other entertained until a very late hour, until guests slowly began leaving the villa; Fredericus excused himself shortly after and left his companion alone with the married couple.

"Would you like to meet him?" asked Iacomus.

"Sure, but I'm afraid it would be quite rude of me to go disturb him now"

"Your proverbial dedication to the _mos maiorum_ , as usual, doesn't falter. Come back to the arena tomorrow, and in the early evening I'll introduce you"

"That is acceptable for me. I'll see you tomorrow, then" Hannibal said, then bid his goodbye to Bella and headed home in the late hours of the night. 

Next day he did as told, coming back to Capua to witness the great _Korínthios_ ' return in the arena. And was not disappointed by what he saw. Sure, the atrocious horses- _esseda_ combo and the aura soaked with fear were still there, but at least he got to see the beautiful glistening of his sweaty muscles in the first hours of noon, and the way he gracefully held any weapon he'd been given. Some kind of secret show within the show that Hannibal alone was enjoying.

Hours passed, fights began and ended, but the senator was unable to get up from his seat. Each turn _Achilléus Korínthios_ was announced he would find himself glued on the spot, and every single time the _gladiator_ would come out victorious. He truly was the reincarnation of the _Divus_ , both in his godly features and the skillful elegance in the fight. Like he was born to do so.

The last turn finally ended and evening came around, which meant it was finally time for the senator to meet his personal _Camena_. Iacomus greeted him at the exit of the stands and guided him towards the gladiatores' entrance. The _lanista_ tried to make small talk to keep his guest busy, but Hannibal paid him no mind and kept thinking about the encounter that was about to take place.

They reached the fighters' quarters and walked along a poorly lit, long and narrow corridor with iron gates on both sides which separated them from the warriors held behind. Most of them didn't even look at the two men, too busy eating, drinking or tending to untreated wounds. They finally reached one final cell, where a slim man was showing them his back while washing his limbs with a wet cloth from a small vat.

"You have guests" Iacomus announced.

The greek man slightly tilted his head in acknowledgement, but didn't answer.

"You should at least greet him properly, y'know"

"It's ok. You can leave now" reassured him the senator. The _lanista_ nodded and walked away, leaving the two men alone.

" _Salve, Hannibal sum_ " 

The shorter man still didn't answer, but his head tilted a bit more this time, effectively taking a look at his interlocutor.

"And what is a man of the _Senatus_ doing in a place like this? Are you one of those who find a boy's slick and soft thighs much more desirable and preferable to the bitter and boring female cave?*"

The taller man chuckled. "I pay no mind to such details. Beauty can be found both in _Helena_ and _Ganymédes_ , so there's no reason for me to prefer one over the other"

"You got me there. For a moment I'd almost forgot I was talking to a _romáios_ "

"I'm not"

"You wear the _toga praetexta_. Only the highest ranks in _Roma_ wear one, or at least that's what I was told"

"You don't know much about the _Imperium_ , do you?"

The greek man shrugged.

Hannibal was far too amused by the fact that someone could be so blatantly and carelessly ignorant of the very same _Imperium_ controlling the entire _Mediterraneum_. 

"I've never really been one for politics"

"I know you were a soldier once"

"Not by choice" Will cut short.

"Yes, I could see that in the arena today. You gave me this awfully clear impression that what you see and learn touches everything else in your mind. Your values and decency are present yet shocked at your associations, appalled at your dreams. No forts in the bone arena of your skull for things you love"

"All of this just by watching me fight?"

"No. Iacomus told me about your trainings, about what happened yesterday. Today I merely drew my conclusions"

"Are you trying to dissect my mind?"

"I'm sorry. Observing is what I do for a living; I can't shut mine off any more than you can shut yours when you fight"

"Please don't. You won't like me when someone tries to get inside my head"

Hannibal smiled and went for the next blow: "You stink of fear under that cheap soap. You stink of fear, but you're not a coward. You fear the fight, but still you go out there. Poor _Oútis_! You fear you'll be eaten by the Cyclops, yet still you go inside the cave"

"You wouldn't understand"

"Oh, but I do! We're very much alike, you know? Without our imaginations, we'd be like all those other poor... dullards. Fear... is the price of our instrument. But I can help you bear it"

"That's impossible"

"Almost. Not quite"

The shorter man turned around, finally facing his interlocutor.

"Why are you here, really?"

"Well, let's start over, shall we? I won't play any more mind games and you'll introduce yourself"

"Will"

"Will?"

"Name's Gwilherm. Everyone calls me Will"

"Pity. It's such a good name, _he who's shielded by his own's will_ "

"What?"

"That's the meaning behind the name. Your will is unparalleled, and I think on that we all agree. Vastly better than the atrocious latin variant _Guilielmus_ "

Will faintly laughed. "Yes, it does sound horrific"

Hannibal smiled back. "You are indeed prettier than the gods' cupholder"

"What?"

"Iacomus lured me here promising beauty. I was not disappointed"

"So you are here for that, after all"

"No, not quite. I came here only to see you"

"See me?"

"I like to look at pretty things"

The greek man felt like his cheeks were on fire, and silently thanked the dim lights for hiding it. Far too many compliments for him to take in.

"Would you mind me drawing you?"

"Huh?"

"You heard me. I want to make a portrait of you"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -The symptoms described by Brianus to Iacomus are a form of "dissociating", (most of the times it's linked to DID, but it's not exclusively limited to it; symptoms may change depending on the various disorders that might trigger it. Will, of course, suffers from PTSD); 
> 
> -"Oplitaes", wielder of the traditional round shaped greek shield, the "oplon"; it's a term used for "soldier" in Ancient Greek;
> 
> -"Camena", Latin equivalent of the greek Muses;
> 
> -"Salve, Hannibal sum", "Hello, I'm Hannibal";
> 
> -"A boy's...cave?*" Yes, that is an actual quote from a document called Debate of Ganymede and Helen; it is about the large use of pederasty in Ancient Greece, along with its customs, such as intercrural sex (it still sparks controversy amongst scholars, who debate over classifying it as pedophilia and a break of ethical rules or simply a custom now shunned by society. Of course Hannibal got the quote, hence his answer); "pederasty", however, is a far too complex topic for me to cover in a footnote, so I suggest you look it up for yourself if you're interested in homosexuality in Ancient Greece, I promise you it's very interesting;
> 
> -"Romaios", greek for "roman";
> 
> -"Toga praetexta", a kind of toga initially worn by Etruscans; it was white rimmed with crimson red, in ancient Roma was seen on high-rank officials, like senators;
> 
> -"Outis", one way to say "no one" along with "medéis" or "oudéis"; here is a direct quote from the Odyssey, where it's used to refer to Ulysses, who told the cyclops "no one" was his name in order to escape from the cave with his companions.


	5. Simplicity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies, sorry for the delay! I have a really iffy schedule because of school exams, so bear with me until July!

"So, how did it go?" asked Fredericus, interrupting the other senator's trail of thoughts.

"What?"

"Your date with _Achilléus_ "

"It wasn't a date and his name is not _Achilléus_ " he replied with a dry tone, still focused on the book in his hands.

"Whatever. Is he really that touched in the head?"

That comment infuriated him, abruptly closing the bast and turning around to face his interlocutor. "You know, Fredericus, there are very few things that disdain me. Rude people are at the top of that list"; then he got up and walked away, tired to put up with him.

"Touchy..."

Hannibal paid him no mind and mounted on his _lectica_ , ready to head to _Capua_.

Bella noticed him while gatering flowers along with her _ancillas_ to adorn her hair later in the evening. 

"Ah, _exoptatus_! To what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"Will"

"The _Korínthios_?"

"Yes. He's the subject of my drawing, so I'm afraid you'll see me around here an awful lot from now on"

"As long as you stay for _coena_ with us, nobody's going to complain"

"Then I'll gladly take advantage of your kindness"

The _matrona_ smiled with satisfaction. "Iacomus is training the _retiarii_ , so I'm sure Will must be resting somewhere around here"

He thanked Bella and headed to the training court inside, where the _lanista_ was indeed watching two men harpooning each other while he shouted directions.

"How many times do I have to tell you? The _pugio_ is strictly for close hand-to-hand combat! You got a _fuscina_ there, use it! - Oh! _Salvete_ , Hannibal"

" _Salve_. Do you happen to know where is Will?"

Iacomus looked at him with the smirk of someone who knew a thing or two. "I see yesterday's encounter didn't discourage you from becoming friends"

"I'm just intrigued by him. He's a curious little man"

"I think you should be careful and mantain boundaries, Hannibal. Fredericus can be very talkative when he's had a little too much wine"

"When the pressures of my personal and professional relationships with Will grow too great, I assure you I'll find a way to relieve them. And Cittinius has no business in my interactions with him"

"I'm just telling you that it's not right for someone in your place to have such intimacy with an enslaved man you just met"

"You should know better than anyone else that there are things more complex than _mos maiorum_. Your mother was a slave from _Mauritania_ "

"My mother had to raise me by herself, father wouldn't treat us any different than the others in his _servitus_. Not even on his death bed"

"I'm sure he loved her, and he loved you. He still gave you the _rudis_ "

"After a _decas_ in the arena. I've earned my freedom with every ounce of blood, sweat and tears in my body"

"Do you see yourself in Will? Is that why you're so obsessed with his carreer as a _gladiator_?"

"Yeah, but I do what I do to protect him from others, and from you as well" said Iacomus, then took a small pause to sigh loudly; "He's resting in the backyard"

Hannibal knew why he felt such an urge to protect the greek man. The higher the status, the more selfish and manipulative everyone was - including him.

" _Gratias tibi fa_ " the senator thanked, leaving the _lanista_ to the training and walking towards the backyard.

Then he spotted Will as he laid on the grass with his eyes closed.

"So you came to visit me today as well"

"Is my _toga_ standing out too much?"

"No. Your steps. You have a very distinct walk, I noticed that yesterday"

Hannibal chuckled, sitting next to him. "You hated when I dissected you, but still dissected me in your own way"

Will smiled. "It's as you said. I can't shut my mind off any more than you do. Observing is what we're good at"

"That's true, but you hate your talent, don't you?"

The greek man's smile faded. "My talent is what killed my wife"

"I'm sorry"

He scoffed, facing away. "I'm sure you are"

"Do you hate your own being? Do you think if you died you'd switch and she'd come back to life?"

"I don't know"

"You know, occasionally I drop something to shatter on the floor on purpose. I'm not satisfied when it doesn't gather itself up again. I like to believe that someday, perhaps, it will come together. Maybe you hope so, too"

"My life has no such great value. My own nature is hungry for things my rational mind cannot accept - no one could accept"

"Your empathy is what makes you so hungry. Your mind dares to do things others wouldn't even be able to imagine. " _Παρατήρει τί σου ἡ φύσις ἐπιζητεῖ ὡς ὑπὸ φύσεως μόνον διοικουμένου· εἶτα ποίει αὐτὸ καὶ προσίεσο, εἰ μὴ χεῖρον μέλλει διατίθεσθαί σου ἡ ὡς ζῴου φύσις. ἑξῆς δὲ παρατηρητέον τί ἐπιζητεῖ σου ἡ ὡς ζῴου φύσις, καὶ πᾶν τοῦτο παραληπτέον, εἰ μὴ χεῖρον μέλλει διατίθεσθαι ἡ ὡς ζῴου λογικοῦ φύσις· ἔστι δὲ τὸ λογικὸν εὐθὺς καὶ πολιτικόν. τούτοις δὴ κανόσι χρώμενος μηδὲν περιεργάζου_ "*. Do you know what it means?"

"Yeah, I think I understood"

"You should not seek to escape your nature. Reflect on yourself, and accept what you are. You are able to look at the others in simple terms, and discussing what they do by nature allows you to backtrack them and figure out who they really are, and what their intentions are. That's fascinating, almost like hearing a _chraesmós_ "

"I'm not the _Pythía_ "

"No, no, of course not. This is different. Your talent is something down to earth, not a gift from the gods. A philosopher's mind in its purest _archétypon_ "

"So you also read _Pláton_. Does anything you don't know or haven't read exist?"

"My knowledge has its limits"

"Like what?"

____

"What happened to your family?"

____

Will glared at him. "I told you already. You won't like me when someone tries to dissect my mind"

____

"I would apologize for this analytical ambush, but I know I will soon be apologizing again and you'll tire of that eventually, so I have to consider using apologies sparingly"

____

"Just keep it professional. You're here to draw me"

____

"Or we could socialize, like adults. The gods forbid we become friendly"

____

"I hear people's whispers around here. It's improper for a senator to have such amicable manners with someone like me, and I don't find you that interesting"

____

Hannibal smiled without rising his eyes from the drawing. "You will"

____

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -"Lectica", "stretcher"; an unaffordable luxury for most people, this mean of transportation was mostly used by the wealthiest classes;
> 
> -"Ancillas", "handmaidens";
> 
> -"Exoptatus", "welcome";
> 
> -"Coena", "dinner"; Romans usually had large feasts starting from around 4 pm until a very late hour of the night, sometimes even dawn;
> 
> -"Matrona", "matron";
> 
> -"Retiarius", a type of gladiator with the equipment styled like a fisherman's (like a weighted net, a trident and a dagger);
> 
> -"Pugio", dagger used by a retiarius;
> 
> -"Fuscina", trident used by a retiarius;
> 
> -"Salvete", another form of greeting similar to "salve";
> 
> -"Servitus", "servitude";
> 
> -"Decas", "decade";
> 
> -"Παρατήρει...περιεργάζου"*, "Look carefully at what your nature requires, as being governed only by a physical nature; then do it and accept it, as long as it does not detract from your nature of being animated. Next you have to observe what your nature requires to be animated, and accept it completely, as long as it doesn't go to the detriment of your nature of being rational. But the rational being is immediately also social. Use these rules and do not get lost in unnecessary reasoning", Marcus Aurelius, Meditations [Liber X, 2] (this is one of the quotes from Aurelius that subsequently inspired Lecter's speech about simplicity to Clarice);
> 
> -"Chraesmos", "oracle";
> 
> -"Pythia", "Phere", the most famous oracle in the ancient world, who lived in Delphi and was rumored to speak the words of the god Apollo under an altered state of mind, almost possessed;
> 
> -"Archetypon", "archetype", a philosophical concept coined by Plato;
> 
> -"Platon", "Plato", a philosopher in ancient times, student of Socrates and author of a wide range of books (mostly known for his thoughts on the Cave, the ideas, the Iperuranium and the archetypes; inspiration for later schools of thought such as, of course, Neoplatonism);


	6. Iunior meets Senex

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! Sorry for the delay, but as I already told you school can be a bitch. I'll post more frequently now that I'm free, so hope to make it up for this forced hiatus!
> 
> I'd especially like to thank [pazpas](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pazpas/pseuds/pazpas), my emotional support pseudo wife who constantly puts up with my anxiety and has to listen to my every idea for this fic. If you like Stranger Things and/or ship Billy x Steve, please go check her out!

Although the _gens_ Vergilia boasted a splendid _domus_ adorned with the finest _marmor lunensi_ and many other possessions in the suburban area, Hannibal Vergilius Lector Senex had chosen to hide himself in an anonymous _villa rustica_ on the countryside of a northern _colonia_ named _Florentia_ , where smooth hills allowed a constant exposure to sunlight along with a mild, pleasant climate; the three days distance from _Roma_ was the perfect excuse to keep the old man as far as possible from the frenzy and the matters of the _res publica_. 

Senex was far more interested in reading medical books and studying the inner parts of the human body. And even though he was still expected to attend to the Senatus' sessions, the outstanding abilities of his son had allowed him to retire from the city alltogether without a worry.

" _Dilectus_ , I think we're to expect a visit from our son very soon" said Claritia, coming inside his _studium_ with a _tabula_ in her hands.

"Oh, is that so?"

"He says he's bringing news from the _Urbs_ , and that Cittinius's son Fredericus is as gruesome as his late father"

Senex winced at the memory. "One of the many reasons why I don't miss the _Senatus_ at all"

His wife chuckled: "Remember those _coenae_ with him and Corvus?"

"My dearest wife, I'm starting to think you want me to lose appetite"

"Me? Never!" she answered back with a theatrical hand gesture.

\----------------------------------------------------------------

Hannibal was on his way to his parents'; it had been quite some time, and a visit was due. Plus, knowing the indifference his father had for mail, he certainly hadn't been keeping up with _Roma_ 's affairs. He arrived around dawn, and as soon as he dismounted from his horse he was greeted by his family's hounds; Senex had come out of the building shortly after, smiling at the sight of his son ten _cubiti_ from his porch.

"Ah, look who decided to come here!"

" _Salvete, pater_ " he smiled.

They hugged for a few moments and Lector took in the sight: he was still tall and imposing, white hair and wrinkles as the only indicator of his real age; none of the physical features were shared with his son, making the adoption painfully obvious even to a stranger: Senex had piercing blue eyes, the nose was small and proportioned and the bone structure of his face was softer, less marked.

" _Fili mi!_ " exclaimed Claritia, running in her son's arms.

" _Salvete, mater_ "

His mother had a youthful and overall pretty appearance, making the thirteen years apart from her adoptive son almost unnoticeable; someone who didn't know the family would undoubtedly mistake her for the offspring. Hannibal considered her a motherly figure nonetheless, as she was more shrewd than the average person, let alone someone her age. 

"So, what news do you bring from _Roma_?" asked Senex after putting a hand on his shoulder and bringing him inside.

"Nothing much. Foreign affairs still rickety, internal ones still loose. But the _Ludi_ have been more enjoyable than ever: Iacomus got new _gladiatores_ "

"And since when have you become fond of such amusement?"

"One of them is a mixed blood from _Kórinthos_ "

His father chuckled. "There's my answer. Does he have the face of the god _Apóllon_?"

"His beauty is second only to his _noús_ "

"There are tons of smart and pretty people to entertain yourself with; Daelía, to name one. Did you grow tired of the company of your _etáira_ , perhaps?"

"Gwilherm is different. He's not compliant, he doesn't roll out his secrets for everyone to see. He's a complex machine, one that requires time to figure out. Someone I'd be honoured to call my _therápon_ , one day"

Senex stopped their walk, looking in his son's eyes. " _Therápon_?"

"Yes"

"Are you sure you really understand the weight such title carries? And to some crude random _gladiator_?"

"He's someone I'd entrust my life with in wartime, and someone I'd listen carefully in peacetime. The mongoose I want under the house when the snakes slither by"

The older man clicked his tongue; "People will say you're in love"

"That didn't seem to stop you when you married _mater_ "

"What your mother and I have is different. We were two free persons who fell in love on equal terms. Do you think he'd really have a say in the matter, were you to pursue this "courtship" and have him as your slave?"

"His social status is of little to no importance"

Senex chuckled once again. "That's what amuses me about love: love is passion, obsession, someone you can't live without. Now that you talk about this Gwilherm you seem feverish, delirious as a _Maenás_ "

"I do feel like a _Maenás_ "

"Then I hope you'll be as happy as this poor old man - three times more!"

"Are you not going to reprehend me some more?"

"Is it going to change a thing?"

"No"

"Then you got your answer. Come, let's have a bath: they opened new _thermae_ not too far from here"

\--------------------------------------------------------

Around noon they got back home, where Claritia had prepared a feast of simple yet nutrient dishes: flat bread seasoned with honey, rosemary and sage, _puls_ made with corn, cheese, bowls with _garum_ and fruit galore.

They had an enjoyable _coena_ , filled with music and small talking. Hannibal didn't really want to spoil such mood, but some questions were in order:

" _Pater_ , can I ask you a question?"

"Of course"

"Do you by any chance know anyone stationing in Greece? Maybe around _Kórinthos_?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I've recently come to understand that someone from _Roma_ has been acting terribly... rude"

"Does it have something to do with the man you've been drawing?" asked his mother.

"I happened to meet his physician. He says Will got imprisoned because of an injustice in his regards, something to do with a nobleman he met during the war"

Senex pondered for a few seconds. " _Ellás_ is a place where internal conflicts and disagreements are almost a daily routine, so it's hard to pinpoint the exact fight you're talking about. However, Franciscus spent a lot of time there, said he had some business to attend to on behalf of the _augustus_ "

"You mean Franciscus Dolabella Draco?"

"Yes. Although he has a quite peculiar character, the _princeps_ seems to keep the man in the highest consideration and often dispatches him for diplomatic missions across the _Imperium_ "

"He keeps coming to the meetings in _Curia Julia_ , but never have I ever heard him speak"

"That's Franciscus for you. He comes from military ranks"

"Few words and precise strikes; something tells me he's not the kind of person you can just randomly approach"

"And you would be correct to think so. Yet, there's a way: you need to meet Pyra. She'll know what to do"

" _Dilectus_ , I doubt it would be advisable" interrupted them Claritia.

"Why do you say so?" asked her Hannibal.

"Let's just say she has an attitude worthy of a daughter of the _augustus_ : entitled and rude. You wouldn't like her"

"Well, to be fair, she is one of the Emperor's daughters" replied Senex.

"Still, her arrogance and her annoying habit of snooping around don't really help her case"

"How do I find her?"

"If Will is becoming as famous as you say, she'll be the one approaching you. She enjoys the company of _gladiatores_ "

The younger man swallowed thickly as his throat burned: the mere idea of having someone taint the greek man's spirit with such things wasn't something he was looking forward to, but if he really wanted to get to the bottom of the whole situation, he'd have to endure. At least for a few days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -"Domus", private home built in the city (not to be confused with the villa suburbana, which was built in the outskirts of a city, or a villa rustica, country house where servants would usually work the land for their owner);
> 
> -"Marmor lunensi", very expensive white marble from a small city, Luni, now called Carrara Marble;
> 
> -"Colonia", "colony";
> 
> -"Florentia", Florence, in Tuscany;
> 
> -"Dilectus", "dear, darling";
> 
> -"Studium", part of the house more or less assimilable to our "study";
> 
> -"Tabula", small tablet made from iron or wood with a thin layer of wax, where people would take notes/write letters;
> 
> -"Urbs", literally "city", but when written with a capital U it refers to Rome;
> 
> -"Cubitus", unit of measurement (44,46 cm/ ~1,46 ft);
> 
> -"Pater", "father";
> 
> -"Fili mi!", "My son!";
> 
> -"Mater", "mother";
> 
> -As some of you may have already guessed, this story takes place during the late Empire, so the borders where put under pressure by barbarians, hence foreign affairs weren't exactly in the best situation;
> 
> -"Nous", "mind";
> 
> -"Etaira", literally "companions"; etairas where courtesans in Ancient Greece, they were learned women who would offer not only sexual services but also company for discussions;
> 
> -"Therapon", "companion"; to quote Madeline Miller: "...A brother-in-arms sworn to a prince by blood oaths and love. In war these men were his honour guard, in peace his closest advisors. It was a place of hightest esteem..." (Song of Achilles, chapter 5);
> 
> -"Maenas", "maenad", priestess of the god Dionysus, said to be delirious/possessed by the divinity;
> 
> -"Thermae", "hot springs";
> 
> -"Puls", some kind of porridge usually made with rice, flour or corn;
> 
> -"Garum", sauce obtained by marinating salted fish innards by the sun, considered a delicacy in the ancient world;
> 
> -"Ellas", "Greece";
> 
> -"Augustus/Princeps", titles used to refer to the "emperor".


	7. Pyra

Will was sitting on the dirty bed of his cell under the arena, intensely staring at the mossy dark bricks of the wall without actually focusing on anything. His complexion was paler than usual, and his forehead adorned in beads of sweat. Trembling like a prey about to get caught, and he felt like one. He felt the eyes of everyone in the world on him, even though there was not a single soul in sight: his comrades were too busy entertaining the wealthy _matronas_ who wanted to spend the night with their favourite fighters, filling the air with obscenities and moans. Will felt like being pulled out of consciousness, like a mysterious force was dragging him away from his own body. His body was there, he was there, yet he felt like he was not in control of himself. The vulgarities were too loud for his ears, the scent too strong for his nostrils. All he could do was just sit there and hope for everything to pass, hope that he'd stop having the impression the walls around him had grown eyes just to stare at him or that his body was drenched in blood from head to toes.

" _Achilléus_ , you got a visit"

Will paid Iacomus no mind, still painfully focused on the same wall that now had mysteriously began to bleed, painting the floor of a disturbingly familiar dark crimson red.

"... _Achilléus_..."

The obscenities grumbled in a mix of skin slapping had been replaced by shrill screechings and desperate calls for help, making his nape burn and his temples reverberate louder than a bunch of _mousikói_ banging the _týmpana_ during a religious celebration. 

"WILL!"

He finally snapped. "What?!"

"Man, what's wrong with you? You gotta help yourself, I don't know what else to tell you"

The greek man got up and began washing off the sweat. "Why are you here?"

"You have a visitor"

"He's late"

"It's not Lector"

"Oh?"

"It's a very important guest, so I want you to behave. No weird stunts like the one you just pulled, understood?"

"It's not something I can control"

"Whether you can or not, you don't joke around with Pyra"

"Who's Pyra?"

"Have you been living under a rock for this past _decas_ , by any chance?"

Will remained silent, and Iacomus pinched the bridge of his nose out of exasperation: "She's the youngest daughter of the Emperor"

"Why the name?"

"You'll see for yourself"

"Why is she here? Why does she want to talk with me?"

The _lanista_ 's laughter echoed inside the greek man's cell.

"Talk to you? Will, she paid an awful lot of _aurei_ to spend the night with you. You should be honored to have such an important woman as your first conquest"

"I have no interest in engaging in such activities"

"Nobody said anything about you wanting or not to. She paid, you perform. That's how it works"

"You can't force this kind of... y'know... _performance_ "

"She is a very attractive woman, but if you'll decide she doesn't suit to your taste you can always close your eyes and imagine senator Lector in her place"

" _Ponaerós_ "

"What did you say?"

"Nothing. Just a note to myself"

"Whatever. I'll have you fixed and then send her in"

Will rolled his eyes and waited for someone to arrive and 'take care' of him. He didn't have to wait for long: after a few minutes a very tall and muscular man with a calm demeanor and a warm smile opened the gate.

"Hi, I'm Bárnabas. He told you why I'm here, yes?"

The shorter man nodded; "He did"

"Mh-hm. Well then, let's get started; you can undress yourself now"

He did as instructed, letting him turn him inside-out and upside-down.

"I can do this on my own, there was no need for an _ancilla_ 's assistance"

Bárnabas chuckled. "The woman you're about to meet is no common _matrona_ , so you need to look your best, and that is my job"

"You wash people and put ointment on their skin? Is it rewarding?"

"I dunno, does being a _gladiator_ withouth a will to fight gratify you more?"

Will didn't know what to answer to that, so he kept quiet until the other man had finished his job. And he had to admit it, the result was impeccable: spotless skin, nicely brushed hair despite his unruly natural curls, beard adequately trimmed. It was the first time in years his face wasn't painted in agony and fear, he could actually pass off as a normal human being. 

"My job is done. Good luck" smiled again Bárnabas, leaving the greek man alone in his cell once again. 

"Ugh, all this prep work is giving me one hell of a migraine"

"Hope I wasn't the cause of this fuss"

The greek man turned around, and a woman stood in front of him. Two big sapphire eyes nestled in a face shaped like a fox's greeted his gaze, along with thin lips curved upwards in a sly smile.

"So you're Pyra"

"Indeed I am" she said, tilting her head to one side and letting the long cascade of bright red curls fall on her back. "Not a fan of the name, though"

"Would you rather have me call you _Vulpes_?"

Her eyes sparkled with interest.

"You're very lucky. I was in _Capua_ during the _Ludi_ and noticed you. Usually I don't ask for second-rate _gladiatores_ , but you caught my interest"

The 'second-rate' bit stinged his pride a bit, although he was unsure why.

"I myself wasn't expecting such a guest"

"Oh, were you? I heard a certain senator likes to entertain himself with your company"

Will broke their staring. "He hasn't been here in a while. Guess his drawing is complete"

She snorted quietly, trying to hold her laughter back. "Of all the things people think you two do together, I must admit drawing wasn't one of them"

He looked back at her, puzzled.

"You do know what people say about you, right?"

His silence answered her question plenty.

"So you don't. Well, that's for the best I suppose"

"What to they say?"

"They call you _mariti_ "

"We've known each other for barely a month!"

"A month during which he came to visit you without exception every single day"

"Yes, to draw me!"

"Poor Will, you don't know Lector at all, do you? He's been labeled a genius since he was four thanks to his ability to memorize anything just by looking at it once. There was no need for him to come to you, your face had been carved in his mind the first day he met you"

"How do you know so much about him? Are you two friends?"

"No, I've never met him. But people do like to talk, no matter how big or small an _urbs_ is! And _Roma_ is the capital of gossip"

"Looks like everyone knows secrets I didn't even think I had"

"Then you're integrating nicely. And such _rumores_ will only multiply along with your fame in the arena. That's how gossip works"

"You seem awfully caught up in this web of _thrói_ "

"What can I say, a woman has to find a way to keep herself entertained nowadays"

"That's a funny way to pass your time"

"Still better than sitting on a dirty bed while sweating profusely and trembling"

"How did you...?" he asked confused, looking at his interlocutor. "Gossip, right?"

She smiled, satisfied at how the man had been quick to answer his own question. A loud moan from a cell interrupted the silence between them, and Pyra slightly tilted her head to see where it came from.

"Looks like your mates are treating well those ladies"

Will grimaced at the thought. "I don't understand the appeal"

"Have you ever been married? This is the most fun some women can find in this city. It would be selfish not to share such goods with us common folks"

"I still don't get it"

"What I'm trying to say is that _matronas_ oftentimes despise the idea of sharing the marital bed with their spouses, blame it on looks or character. Their marriage is often arranged by their families, and they get the slim solace of coming here to choose a partner to spend the night with"

"Are you trapped in such situation?"

"Why yes, I still am the daughter of the _augustus_. Everything our family does has a purpose, even who we take as lovers"

"And what is yours?"

She smiled again, and Will noticed how small wrinkles appeared under her eyes when her lips curled. "To have as much fun as I can in this life"

"You're a peculiar woman"

"You too are no common man, _Achilléus Korínthios_ "

He kept staring at her, without a response to offer. After some moments of silence she knocked on the gate, and a guard approached, escorting her out.

"Guess I won't get what I paid for"

"I'm sorry"

She nodded slightly; "It was nice meeting you"

As she disappeared in the dim lighted corridor, Will thought that the same couldn't be said about her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Yes, matronas could pay a price to spend the night with their favourite champion, and such practice was more common than anyone would think;
> 
> -"Mousikoi", "musicians";
> 
> -"Tympana", plural of "tympanos", akin to a drum; 
> 
> -"Pyra", literally "pyre", it's a supernomen (third name, usually chosen based on a peculiarity of the person, something akin to our nickname) I chose for TV series Freddie Lounds, inspired by the alias "Pyrra" Achilles was given when he disguised himself as a woman, because of his 'flaming' hair, based on the greek word "pyr", "fire";
> 
> -"Aurei", plural for "aureus", a golden coin worth 25 silver denarii, later replaced by the solido by Emperor Constantine;
> 
> -"Ponaeros", "asshole";
> 
> -"Vulpes", "fox";
> 
> -"Mariti", plural of "maritus", "husband";
> 
> -"Rumores", "rumor";
> 
> -"Throi", plural of "throus", contracted form of "throos", which has many meanings; in this case, "rumor".


	8. Fever

Pyra kept coming back to his cell in an attempt to get what she wanted. Never had anyone dared to go against her wishes before, and the way he kept rejecting her without even noticing promoted the man from one of the woman's vain whims to an actual trophy to conquer.

Will despised her visits. He hated being washed thoroughly, being touched and tossed around and having to make small talk; he hated anything to do with the red haired woman almost as much as he hated going back in the arena. The fact that he kept winning without even trying hadn't washed the stink off his body, not even Bárnabas' ointments could hide away that awful stench of a prey cornered by a thousand predators. 

Another encounter had finished, another encounter saw _Achilléus Korínthios_ as the winner; every time he walked outside the deliriously devoted mob showered him in silky multicoloured flower petals, shouting his name in adoration, often alongside lewd comments about his toned muscles or his rear that he'd rather ignore. They loved him as much as he hated himself and all his name stood for: murder for the sadistic sake of entertainment. He'd wallow in the blood of many people, so dark and thick and ready to wrap the man in his entirety without ever letting him go.

Invisible hands crawled up all over his body, even inside his own skin; the man sitting in front of him suddenly wasn't just a sleeping figure, but a disfigured corpse without lips and bloody eye sockets with small fragments of glass roughly mounted on the tender bits left of the popped eyeballs. The tongue had been ripped off by hand and then badly put back inside the slightly agape mouth that allowed saliva and some other crimson red flowed in small trickles down the neck and good part of the chest, where his ribcage had been torn opened to display the missing heart. Will could feel the all too familiar acid feel of retch press under his chin, which he barely suppressed while drying his forehead with the back of his hands.

"I don't feel so good" he muttered.

"You don't say" replied mechanically Brianus while pacthing up a cut on the greek's shoulder.

"I mean it"

"Everyone knows it"

"Look, I really am not feeling ok. Give me some _sal_ or shut your sarcasm, I'm not in the mood"

The physician stared at him with a bewildered look on his face. "Gee, who spit on your _panis_ this morning?" he said while handing some smelling salts; their hands briefly touched, making Brianus wince: "Ow! Your hand is hot"

"This place is painfully hot"

The man did look even sweatier than usual, with watery eyes and pale and worn out complexion, except for the bright red cheeks and the puffy eyes. The physician finally took his conditions seriously, measuring his fever by touching his tragus and focusing on the heartbeat.

"You do have some fever"

Will stared at Brianus, noticing how every colour was slowly melting away from his body like heavy layers of stage makeup he'd seen _komodói_ and _ypokritái_ wear under their _prósopa_ and _phenákai_ , revealing a skin underneath as white as the toga he was wearing. The melting colours of his face were slowly forming a puddle on the man's feets.

"Can I have those salts now?"

"I don't think it'd be a good idea to go out now"

"It's never a good idea"

"I'm being serious. I'll go talk to Iacomus and-"

"About what?" interrupted the _lanista_ , walking towards them.

"He's got quite the fever going on"

Iacomus grabbed the greek's face by the chin, studying his exhaustion.

"Give him some salts. He'll be fine"

"But he really needs-"

"Give. Him. Some. Salts" repeated Iacomus, stabbing on his chest with a finger between every word.

Brianus looked at the man and nodded silently; he put the small bottle of salts under the gladiator's nostrils and had him inhale deeply. Will could feel his nose and the back of his throat burn and his eyes shed some tears. His vision became a bit less blurry, but he still couldn't focus on anything farther than a couple _cubiti_ from him. The walk to get to the arena felt three times longer than usual, his breathing heavy and painful like he was slowly swimming back to the surface after being forcefully kept under water. He desperately needed fresh air, even if it was the awful smelling one of the dusty ground where blood was about to get spilled in copious amounts; this time, it could be his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -"Sal", as described by Pliny the Elder as "Hammoniacus sal", smelling salts used on dazed or fainted people to have them recover consciousness;
> 
> -"Panis", "bread";
> 
> -"Komodói", actors of comedies;
> 
> -"Ypokritái", actors of tragedies;
> 
> -"Prósopa", masks usually in wood, metal, clay or other materials;
> 
> -"Phenákai", wigs used in theaters together with other props to make characters more 'convincing'; usually made with animal hair, like horsehair.


	9. At the Colosseum

Lector had come back to _Roma_ after the few days spent in his parents' _villa rustica_. A real nostrum against the constant chaos of living in such a big city, the crisp air of the tuscanian countryside was a miraculous balm against the awful stench of urine and other nasty things creeping out of the narrow alleys hid between the flashy marbles and bronzes.

He had to find Pyra.

Senex and Claritia hadn't told him a lot about the woman, except for her lineage and her knack for spending the night with gladiatores, which didn't narrow his search down given the fact that it was quite the popular hobby around _matronae_. He'd heard some rumors about her before, so tracking her down couldn't be as difficult as one would think. It's not as if a long curly bright red mane adorned in gold and silk could go unnoticed, especially in a place like the arena.

" _Domine! Domine!_ " a female voice interrupted his thoughts. He slightly moved the tent of his _lectica_ , and recognized a woman with pale green doe-like eyes and chestnut hair tied in a loose side-braid.

"Margit, what are you doing here?"

His _serva_ slightly nodded in salutation.

"Daelía sends a message. Gwilherm has been moved from _Capua_ "

"What?"

"By what you could define as convincing prayers of a certain noble lady, the _augustus_ himself asked to have the _Korínthios_ perform in the _Amphitheatrum Flavium_ for him"

Hannibal was unsure of how he should welcome such news. But if that was the case, Pyra had reached out to Will before he could, and that made him purse his lips in displease. He had but barely come back, and he had already lost a battle to this woman. Lector would make sure that'd be the first and last loss he'd suffer at her greedy little hands.

"Do you happen to know when his next performance will be?"

"A hour from now. If you hurry, you might get there in time"

"Go back to the _domus_ and tell Daelía and the others to have a grand feast be prepared for tonight's _coena_. Use the recipes I left written on this _tabula_ and use the finest stocks of _Trebellicum_ with generosity" he instructed, handing her the small tablet.

" _Concipio_. Everything will be impeccable by the time you'll be back"

The senator sent her off and immediately headed to the _Amphitheatrum_ ; as he got off the _lectica_ , a familiar face headed his way.

"Look who _Mercurius_ brought back!" 

" _Salve_ , Fredericus. You happen to arrive just at the right moment"

"You need money? Because I won't lend you any" chuckled Cittinius.

Although he remained silent in a polite way not to offend his interlocutor, Hannibal sported an evidently annoyed look that made the other's laughter die in just a couple seconds; clearing his throat, he hoped to break the quiet awkwardness of the joke that obviously did not land.

"So, what can I do for you?"

"I need a seat for the next encounter"

"But the arena is full! Your _Achilléus_ is going to perform here, and the Emperor's _familia_ is going to attend"

"My servants are preparing a lavish feast as we speak"

Fredericus bit his lips, torn between the performance that was about to happen and the idea of being officially invited to one of Lector's famous _coenas_.

"Oh, _bene est_! Come with me, we'll think of something"

The senator patted on the other man's shoulder silently thanking him, and they both headed inside. As expected, every single one of the 50000 seats were occupied, rampart reserved for the men of the Senatus and steps included.

"Just so you know, if I loose my seat because of your request I won't forgive you"

"You won't. Help me find a place for myself" reassured him Lector, looking around to find a free spot for himself. Not a single one in sight.

Both the senators began combing the bleachers, asking for people to either give up their seat or free one, but to no avail. "... _Duas tantum res anxius optat: panem et circenses_..." wrote Iuvenalis once, and never would have Lector agreed more with those words than in that exact moment. People were willing to fight with their claws just to see two men beat each other to death and eat some bread.

"I did the best I could, but I really need to hurry and get my seat, or else I'll be left out as well" Fredericus excused himself, leaving him alone.

Just as he was about to give up, someone slightly tapped on his shoulder.

"Excuse me?"

He turned around to see a woman with flaming red hair neatly braided in an elegant updo adorned with silk ribbons and golden clips that allowed two thick locks of hair to perfectly frame her face and flow down enough to cover her ears but not to hide the big amber drops hanging from her lobes.

"You must be Pyra"

"And you must be senator Lector, right?"

Hannibal nodded and greeted her politely: " _Ave, Augusta Pyra_ "

"You don't need to be so formal with me, I feel like I already know you intimately"

"I see my fame preceeded me by _leugae_ "

She slightly tilted her head on one side, making the amber droplet dangle back and forth, capturing and releasing light with every movement.

"Why don't we go on with our conversation elsewhere? Maybe our seats?"

"I'm afraid I didn't get one in time"

"Oh, nonsense! Come with me" Pyra incited him to follow her with a hand gesture.

The senator found himself in the Emperor's private rampalt, adorned in velvety courtains and bright coloured _pulvini_ made of different fabrics.

"Come, sit by me"

" _Licentiam peto_ "

"It's fine, it's fine. Come, sit now: the _Korínthios_ ' about to come out, and I think none of us wants to miss his grand entrance in the the _Amphitheatrum Flavium_!"

Although it wasn't proper of him to be spotted sitting there, he knew better than to contradict the _matrona_ 's request.

"So, when is the _Augustus_ going to come?"

"Oh, he won't" she answered absent-mindedly, stretching her neck to try and spot Will in the enormous arena. Hannibal immediately understood what had happened, but tried to get the answer out of her nonetheless: "But it was said he'd be coming. After all, he made a special request to have _Achilléus_ brought here from _Capua_ "

"That was me. He just gave me the ok and left me in charge to manage the propaganda"

"How unethical, even for the daughter of the Emperor"

"I'm afraid you'll find many other things to be unethical, senator. But you should already know that, given your rather intimate time with Gwilherm"

"I see you two became acquainted"

"Very. After all, not all men find a boy's slick and soft thighs much more desirable and preferable to the bitter and boring female cave"

Hannibal pursed his lips. He found that _Lupa_ would have been a far more fitting _supernomen_ for the skinny and ravenous woman he had the mischance to be sitting next to in that moment.

"Have you been listening to my conversation with Will? How did you know?"

"I have my resources"

"That was our first encounter. There were still no suspicious rumours about alleged physical relations between us, so I'd be very interested in knowing how you managed to listen to that conversation"

"I won't answer that question" she replied, still looking down at the arena.

Lector took some minutes to choose carefully his next words.

"You've been terribly rude to us"

Pyra turned her head to stare at him, surprised by what he had just said. He just stared back.

"What's to be done about that?"

That was her turn to get quiet, openly uncomfortable with the situation. The announcer saved her by greeting Will in the arena, between the roaring applauds of the mob and the rain of petals coming from every side of the _Amphitheatrum_. They both turned their attention down there, waiting for their idol to parade on the dusty ground in a bright cyan _esseda_ hauled by white horses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -"Domine! Domine!", vocative of "dominus", "master";
> 
> -"Serva", "servant";
> 
> -"Trebellicum", a luxurious wine made in Naples, very renowned in ancient times (especially during the late Empire);
> 
> -"Concipio", present simple of the verb [concipio, concipis, concepi, conceptum, concipĕre], "I understand";
> 
> -"Mercurius", latin name for the greek god "Ermes";
> 
> -"Bene est!", "Alright!";
> 
> -The Amphitheatrum was estimated to have a capacity of 50000-87000 seats for spectators;
> 
> -"Duas... circenses", "[people] eagerly desire only two things: bread and circus games", [Juvenal, Satire X, 81];
> 
> -"Iuvenalis", Juvenal, author of ancient times mostly known for his 'Satires' and 'History of Latin literature';
> 
> -"Ave, Augusta Pyra", "ave" is a honorific way to greet someone, especially someone with a higher rank, and is called "augusta" because she, after all, is related to the Emperor;
> 
> -"Leugae", plural of "leuga", "league" as in the nautical unit of measurements and figure of speech;
> 
> -"Pulvini", "cushions";
> 
> -"Licentiam peto", literally "I ask for permission", which in turn can be translated with the italian "con permesso" or even the japanese "しつれいします (shitsurei shimasu)", used when entering a place that isn't our home after being invited, like going inside a friend's house; I don't think there's a real English way to say this, but I've seen may translate it simply as "Excuse me" or "Sorry for the intrusion";
> 
> -"Lupa", literally the female of the "wolf", it's a dispregiative way to call a woman to say she's hungry for human flesh, which is why it's also used as a term for "prostitute" or to describe in general someone with a libertine attitude (one of the most famous examples being La Lupa, novel written by Giovanni Verga in 1880).


	10. The Lanius from Dacia

The ghastly smell of the arena made Will wince. _Roma_ 's stench in general did. But he had a duty, and so he went into the lion's den. His thoughts immediately went to a legend he'd heard of a couple weeks before.

In the northern regions of _Dacia_ it was said that a huge rapaceous _Lanius_ usually kidnapped young pretty women who ventured in the woods without leaving a trace, and in the last twenty years or so the winged beast had gotten itself incredibly busy, making twelve particularly unfortunate girls who had gotten out of their houses in the early morning hours to gather some wood and wild berries disappear and never come back. People were too scared of finding themselves impaled on tall branches to go looking for them, so no one got to the bottom of the mystery. 

That was, until a _venator_ dared to go deep inside the forests of _Montes Sarmatici_ only to find a man and a little girl eating the insides of a lifeless woman whose body had been severed in half with a deep cut in the lower abdomen area. The killer tried attacking him, but luck and speed had been on the other man's favour that particular day, allowing him to subdue the _Lanius_ and its daughter, selling them off as slaves. While there were no whereabouts to be found of the girl since that day, her father's skills were put to good use as a _scissor_ in the arena; he quickly made a name for himself for his gruesome and spectacular performances which, combined with his infamous history, made his name echoe from mouth to mouth until the _Daciae Lanius_ became a stable brand in the _Amphitheatrum Flavium_. 

That was the man the _Achilléus Korínthios_ had to face in a duel by express request of the _augustus_.

_"Aren't_ scissores _usually supposed to face off against_ retiarii _?"_

_"Usually" aswered him Iacomus while tying the laces of the brand new adorned chestplate._

_"Well, I may be wrong, but I don't recall_ retiarii _riding_ essedae _"_

_"Your acumen, as usual, doesn't falter"_

_"Then why am I fighting this_ Lanius _guy?"_

 _"Because the_ princeps _himself ordered so"_

_"And why am I wearing this... thing? It's tacky and impossibly impractical"_

_"You're in the big league here. You'll need to be shown off even more now, especially for your big debut"_

_He slipped on adorned bicep armbands in bronze and the leather armguards, then tied linen cloths around his palms._

_"We will make people think the_ Divus _came back from the_ Elisium _"_

 _"If I am to be the the_ podókaes _, where is my_ Pátroklos _?"_

_"Maybe he'll be watching you from the stands of the Senatus"_

_The_ gladiator _scoffed in annoyance. "Why is everyone so obsessed with this idea of me and senator Lector?"_

_"Because you're the only thing he's ever shown interest for, enough to find an excuse to visit you quite often"_

_"A month"_

_"Still more than anyone he's ever met can boast"_

_"What about you?"_

_"We're not friends"_

_"Neither are we"_

_"Then you shouldn't be bothered by such trivial rumors"_

_"I'm not"_

_"Sure"_

Will's vision was still atrociously blurry while walking out in the arena. His ears felt muffled, the only sound he could distinguish was the steady, pulsating thump of the blood in his veins and the all to familiar burning feeling on his nape. Adrenaline was slowly kicking in and made his hands slightly shaky; he closed them in two fist so tights his knuckles turned white. 

The _Lanius_ was waiting for him in a strangely relaxed pose. He was not much taller than him and definitely more on the lanky and worn out than the muscular type, so much the other man felt like he could count his ribs, wasn't it for the way too big adorned armour covering his torso in its entirety. But what he found really disturbing were the ice cold eyes staring at him like a famelic predator ready to eat its prey in one bite. He swore he could feel a pang in his bowels while looking at the menacing figure.

"Hello son of _Tethys_ "

"Hello to you, _rapax_ " Will slobbered back.

 _Lanius_ grinned. "You look a bit weak. Are you scared?"

The greek man didn't reply.

"Ready for the show?"

Still no reply.

The announcer reached them soon after. "I trust your _lanistae_ told you the rules - are you ok?"

Will was still looking at his opponent. His scrawny arms were rotting away, almost melting, revealing an underskin layer of a feathers of the same colour of clay, a dusty red mixed with some browns. As he watched the disgusting gray-ish skin fall on the ground, he noticed the sharp toes extend and then crumple on themselves, digging small lines on the dusty ground. The greek man's bewilderment only increased when he looked back at his face and noticed how the frightening ice cold blue had been replaced by a milky-coloured, glazed-over stare; upon a closer look, he could notice some kind of worm squirm inside the thin layer of the eyeball, making his stomach churn so bad he felt like his whole body was being turned inside-out.

" _Achilléus_!" called him again the announcer.

"Yes?"

"Are you alright?"

"S-sure" was his reply as he quickly blinked, trying to pull himself together.

The man looked at him with a doubtful look, but still announced him.

The two _gladiatores_ turned to face the Emperor's rampalt and salute the man who had ordered them there. The greek man couldn't see a thing, everything went in and out of focus at a pace out of his control, and his head boiled and stinged.

"Too bad the _augustus_ isn't there"

"He isn't?"

"Can't you see it for yourself?"

"..."

"The only two people sitting there are Pyra and a man I do not know. Maybe one of her lovers?"

He could almost feel the emerald green eyes of the woman he'd already meet. He wondered about the man sitting next to her, but it was hard to focus on something while his brain felt like it was on fire. What did a lover of Pyra's look like? It was difficult to even use the smallest amount of his imagination, and the shoutings from the mob didn't help his awful state, only adding the sensation of having a thousand needles stinging his eardrums. Everything was painfully overwhelming, and soon he had to fight against one of _Roma_ 's, if not the entire civilized world's deadliest men.

"I've heard about you, y'know?"

"What did you say?" asked Will in confusion and with a tone louder than necessary.

"About your _mens_. Quite the interesting toy, that is"

"Is that so?"

"I can't wait to crack that tiny pretty head open and play with it myself; if you'll cooperate, I promise you I'll be quick about it and it'll be enjoyable"

The greek man snapped: "Enjoy myself, huh? Does the thought of my opened skull get you off, does the sight of my brain make your pathetic little excuse of a _péos_ hard?"

The other took a small pause before his reply; "First, I'll kill you in a beautiful way. Then I'll wash your corpse thoroughly, cut it and eat everything. Your bones will be crushed and used as fertilizer, your hair neatly braided and put aside with my other precious trophies. Nothing needs to be wasted, everything will be honoured properly. Otherwise, it'd be just murder"

"Oh? Honour me? With that filthy, disgusting mouth of yours?"

He squeezed his eyes and focused his hearing on him, noticing his chest rise and fall quickly and the eye slightly twitching. Bullseye.

"What makes you think I'd feel honoured by having your dirty hands on me? I think you like my face a little too much"

 _Lanius_ roared with raging fury, lashing out on him with all the blind strenght of his anger in a combo of blows from every side. Will defended himself with difficulty, taking some time and the small amount of brain still working to analyze him: putting him in a predictable emotional spot, like having his ego slapped with insults, made it easy for him to guess a pattern without using his 'gift' and avoid the risk of putting himself into too much strain.

"C'mon, is this how you're supposed to honour me? With those half-assed attacks?"

The man grunted like an animal and his mouth foamed like an animal. Other strikes came in his direction and were equally blocked until the greek man's arm became increasingly sore until he couldn't defend himself anymore; he dodged the rest, waiting for the weak spot to show itself. When he found it, Will began his counterrack, pretending to strike him on the left, only to change direction the last second and pierce a deep cut in his right bicep. _Lanius_ groaned in frustration and huffed. 

They went on and on for some minutes, circling each other and striking, managing carving the other's flesh but not being able to do much more, but the _Korínthios_ was becoming weaker and weaker and the other man knew that; it was more about exhaustion than wits, and Will was on the verge of his collapse. It didn't take long before the dacicus finally jabbed the crescent blade on his arm on the left side of the other's abdomen, piercing through both armour and flesh and leaving _Achilléus_ with a startled look.

The greek man tried to appeal to any residual strenght left whithin his body one last time, in a desperate attempt to get back at his adversary; without even knowin how, he managed to tighten the grip on his own sword and planted it on his jugular. It was _Lanius_ ' turn to be left wide eyed and mouth agape as the wooden arm piece with the blade slipped out of his limb and took a few shaky steps back. The only thing Will's sight could focus on was the faint smirk as _Lanius_ fell on his knees, covering his neck with his hand, and blood flowed freely out of the chapped thin lips and painted his smile crimson red.

"See?" the man whispered.

Will's body was shaking uncontrollably as the only thing he could feel anymore was a terrible pain in his stomach; then everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -"Lanius", "Shrike", a type of bird known for skewering its preys against thorny branches and tear them apart with its curved sharp beak;
> 
> -"Venator", "hunter";
> 
> -"Montes Sarmatici", latin name for the eastern area of the Carpathian mountains;
> 
> -"Daciae Lanius", "Shrike of Dacia", a region of the Roman Empire;
> 
> -"Scissor", a type of gladiator often put to duel against 'retiarii', known for not using a shield but a trunk-shaped tube with a crescent blade attached wrapped around his arm;
> 
> -"Elisium", "Champs Elysees", according to the ancients, people who stood out in life for political merits or war heroism, in the afterlife, went to a sort of "heaven" called 'Champs Elysees';
> 
> -"Podokaes", "swift-footed", one of Achilles' most famous epithets;
> 
> -"Patroklos", greek for "Patroclus";
> 
> -"Rapax", "rapaceous";
> 
> -"Mens", "mind";
> 
> -"Peos", "dick".


	11. Et nos ludere

Hannibal's eyes couldn't break away from the scene: truly the _Divus Achilléus_ was walking among men. Will was wearing a head to toe bronze and leather armour made of a _paélaex_ where _Zeús Orátrios_ ' figure stood imposing, ready to hurl lightning at his enemies and a tall crest adorned with filaments that looked like gold; the chestpiece consisted of two spirals over his pectorals and a tight-fitting plate that ended at his belly button, leaving a narrow part of his smooth belly exposed before a linen tunic, black as per _Myrmidonón_ custom, tied around the lower part of his waist covered him up to mid-thigh. Two armbands worn on his biceps had been decorated with carved _máiandroi_ made of lines and right angles all around them while the simpler leather armguards' ornament consisted of bronze rivets; greaves were also skin-tight and started from the knees down to the malleolus, decorated with simple straight lines on the front part that twisted in complex curls on both sides giving the man's calves a toned and flattering shape. The senator basked in the glory of such virile and harmonious figure, thinking about how the greek man would have looked even better with the spear and the shield of the Homeric narration, ready to jump at Hector's throat with an agile leap.

"That black tunic doesn't leave much to the imagination" said Pyra, interrupting Lector's flow of thoughts. He bit his tongue, annoyed by the woman's lewd comment that had clearly ruined such a moment only to make comments on Will's lower back.

"Why isn't he riding his _esseda_?" Hannibal asked, trying to change topic.

"This is a sword-to-sword duel. Did you notice he's not carrying any long-range weapon as he usually does?"

"Yes, I did"

"That's why. I made that special request myself"

"Did you wish to recreate the deadly duel between the _fáidimos Éktor_ and the _podókaes Achilléus_?"

"Not everyone has such elevated reasons, senator. There's people who simply want to watch something easy on the eye"

"I take it that you chose Will's armour, then?"

She smiled. "So perceptive"

He wanted to congratulate on her pick because the ensamble was indeed a sight to behold, but words were held back in his throat by his own pride.

The announcer introduced his opponent, the _Daciae Lanius_ , champion of the _Amphitheatrum_.

"Do you know Jacobus?"

"I'm sorry, who?"

"The _Lanius_ "

"Not personally, no. Only by fame"

"So you do lend an ear to gossip from time to time"

"A friend of mine I came with here today is the embodiment of _panem et circenses_ , he knows everything about every single _gladiator_ in _Roma_ "

"Seems like someone I'd like to meet"

"I'm sure you'd find him pleasant to have around" the senator replied, thinking of how well Cittinius and Pyra would indeed get along, both arrogant and pompous and only thinking about themselves; maybe he'd have them meet each other, one day.

"I think you know someone I'd like to be introduced to as well"

"Oh?"

"I know senator Dolabella is very close with the _princeps_ "

"Yes, he is. But shouldn't you know him already? Don't you see him in _Curia Julia_?"

"I do know him, only I've never officially spoken to him. And I'm told that he's not the easiest man to approach"

"You were told right. Franciscus is really secretive and doesn't particularly enjoy social life. May I know the nature of your interest in him?"

"He spent a lot of time in _Hellás_ , and I wanted to ask him a few questions on a personal matter"

"You don't need to beat around the bush if you want to know more about Will. I asked him some stuff myself, but aside from some boring details about a certain battle your _Achilléus_ seems to have partaken in he doesn't know anything else"

"He was involved in a greek war?"

"Only as counselor and lender on behalf of my father"

"And why should the _augustus_ involve himself in trivial bickerings?"

"Of that I was not informed. But I do know that Will's gift had been put to use in that occasion as well, although not long after he seemed to have become crazy and therefore got thrown in jail; Franciscus' explanation as to why it happened wasn't really precise, and I know better than to question Draco"

"May I be bold enough to invite both of you to dinner at my _domus_?"

She chuckled. "No can do. He hates social life, I told you"

The encounter began soon after. The short man wearing a wig who had been announcing the two _gladiatores_ was still shouting his long introduction when the champion from _Dacia_ lashed out on the shorter man, attacking him with a series of devastating strikes. _Achilléus_ , as usual, didn't give in a single inch of his position and warded off every single hit with his usual precision. But there was something terribly off in his aura: he seemed more tired and paler than usual, and although his movements were moderate and calculated there was a certain fatigue lingering in his every step.

They went on and on sparring for endless minutes, Jacobus hitting with blind fury and Will warding off, until the latter finally went for the backlash and cut through the other's right arm, making him back away a few feet. Then it was the dacicus turn to strike him and so on, until the _Korínthios_ began to show the first signs of subsidence and _Lanius_ got the upper hand by thrusting the weapon attached to his arm gear through the greek man's left side of the lower abdomen until Hannibal could see the crescent blade's edge gleam in the sunlight from his back, leaving him breathless and startled. This only lasted a few moments, and as soon as the wounded men got a grip on himself he rose the sword in the air and stick it deep in the other's neck. 

The champion of the _Amphitheatrum_ took a few shaky steps back and fell heavily on his knees while trying to cover the wound around the sword still firmly planted on his jugular, before he dropped face first on the dusty ground of the arena. What really got Lector worried though was the greek man's state: he could barely stand while his whole body was shaking uncontrollably. Then he saw his eyes roll to the back of his head as both his nose and his mouth spattered blood all over his shiny armour and he too feel on the ground, convulsing and foaming before finally losing consciousness as well.

The _Colusseum_ in its entirety had turned silent, everyone bewildered by the show that had just taken place, soon replaced by a round of roaring applauses for the macabre scene. No one really cared to check whether one of them was still alive or not, the mob had been satiated of its need for violence and every single person in there was slowly going away, leaving the two bloodied messes to be dealt with by a group of servants.

"The ending was certainly scenographic" commented Pyra with the tiniest hint of cynism in her voice.

"It was" agreed Hannibal.

"I'll have you introduced - to senator Dolabella, I mean"

" _Gratias tibi fa_ "

"Don't thank me yet. It'll take some time to convince him, I can already tell you this; I'll send someone over when I'll have secured a proper meeting"

"Then I'll hold my gratitude until then"

She smiled, clearly pleased by the answer. "I must go now. Matters to attend, places to visit" 

"I won't keep you busy for a minute longer"

The woman slightly nodded as she walked away, leaving the senator alone. He was still looking at the unconscious bodies being taken away when the resolution to a conflict that had been dwelling deep within his soul for some time finally came to him; that made him rise from his sit and enter the _gladiatores_ quarters as quickly as he could, only to find Iacomus and a few other people around a still body laying on the ground. Will's body.

"How is he?" he asked.

The _lanista_ turned around, and only answered once he recognized who had asked him that question: "Not as well as I was hoping"

"What about Jacobus?"

"Dead before he hit the ground"

Hannibal paused for a few seconds. "Is there anything I can do?"

"No, not really - no one can. Brianus is tending to him as well as he can, but it's up to Will to decide whether he'll survive or not" replied Iacomus while patting the senator on the back and escorting him outside; "You should go home"

"I'd like to know his conditions first"

"Then let us wait here. I'm sure someone'll come out soon enough"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -"Et nos ludere", "Let's play";
> 
> -"Paelaex", "helm";
> 
> -"Myrmidonon", genitive of "Myrmidones", the mythical people of Thessaly lead by Achilles;
> 
> -"Maiandroi", plural for "maiandros", motifs typical of greek art made out of a continuous line shaped in a repeating pattern;
> 
> -"Zeus Oratrios", "Zeus god of thunder and celestial fire", Cretan epithet for the cult of Zeus;
> 
> -"Faidimos Ektor", "Illustrious Hector";
> 
> -The armour Will is wearing is inspired but not identical to Achilles' because in the Iliad we only get tiny descriptions of it, so we know from it is that it was made out of gold from Hephaestus himself and few more details (the only two pieces with a really detailed description are the shield and his helm); not even Quintus Smyrnaeus' Posthomerica came to my rescue in this regard, but if you're interested in learning more I suggest you read Elena Langella's ["Le armi di Achille: l’eredità eroica nei Posthomerica di Quinto Smirneo"](https://www.academia.edu/37311385/Le_armi_di_Achille_leredit%C3%A0_eroica_nei_Posthomerica_di_Quinto_Smirneo) (don't bee discouraged by the title, the article is in both italian and english :) ); TL DR: I took inspiration mainly from the few descriptions I found, the tiniest amount of knowledge that I have on the matter and the illustrated vases of the time.


	12. The bargain

Iacomus was right. Not longer after they sat down, a man with dark bristly hair and unkempt beard came out looking for them.

"So?"

Brianus shook his head. "Not good. Not good at all. His fever had gone up more than we anticipated, and the infection caused from the wound certainly doesn't help his case. This week is gonna be vital, but if at the end of the fifth day he'll still be among the living, then I can assure his recovery"

"Five days..." pondered Hannibal

The physician nodded. "He'll need someone watching over him every hour of the day and the night. Bring him food, wash his sweat off, change bandages, that sort of stuff. Oh, and the cleaner the room he'll be staying in the better. We do not need his wounds to get dirty and worsen his already bad infection"

"That's gonna take a lot" commented the _lanista_.

"It's the only way to at least hope he'll recover" Brianus said before going back inside.

"Iacomus, I've been meaning to talk to you about something for quite a few days now"

"What is it?"

"Sell me Will"

"Excuse me?"

"I'm being serious. I have more servants than I am in need of who will constantly keep an eye on him, and I can assure you my _domus_ is cleaner than any place in _Roma_ "

"Of that I'm sure, but I don't think it's a good idea. The kid already made a name for himself in the arena, I can't just withdraw him from the scene like nothing ever happened and go about my day! His fans are going to be pissed!"

"I'm sure you'll think of something"

"That's easy for you to say, you don't even need to worry about your reputation. But I do. I worked hard to get where I am today and I am not letting you waltz in and do as you please just because the _toga_ you wear has a red edge"

"I'll buy you three - no, five of the finest slaves of your own choosing; I only ask you to give Will to me"

Iacomus sighed and pinched the edge of his nose, then looked at Hannibal, thinking about the offer. "You won't do anything funny, right?"

The glimpse of a smile slithered on the senator's lips. "You've grown fond of him more than you're willing to admit"

"Oh, whatever. Just don't have him get too close, alright? He's already unstable as he is, last thing we need is have him deal with an even more unbalanced state of mind"

"You have my word".

"Fine" was the answer he got after a full minute of silent pondering; "I'll have some men bring him back to your place as quickly as his conditions allow his body to be moved"

Hannibal tried to express his gratitude but was cut short: "We will tell people _Achilléus_ died, or else it'll affect my reputation. If you want to keep him in _Roma_ do not have him approach the _Amphitheatrum_ for any reason. People will forget his face soon enough, but we can never be sure. And Brianus will visit him regularly until he recovers"

"Fine by me. I'll pay his weight in gold, will that suffice?"

The _lanista_ 's mouth was jarred open in disbelief as he replied with a startled: "S-sure".

Will's body got laid on Hannibal's _lectica_ and carried back to the senator's _domus_ in the middle of the night, the only time when prying eyes wouldn't be fixated on them. As soon as they got there, the injured man was settled on a bed and surrounded by any possible source of comfort, varying from silken cushions to help his muscles from getting sore to vases of all shapes and sizes filled with hot water for his wounds and wine mixed with cheese and honey to wet his lips.

Brianus wanted to stay, but Lector had him go back to Iacomus, reassuring that he'd remain beside the greek man the whole night, supervising his every move and making sure he wouldn't reopen the wound by accident in his troubled sleep; that seemed to convince the physician enough, and a yawn coming out of his mouth gave out the fatigue that he'd been holding back. He gave a few more instruction to the senator and finally set out to his _dominus' villa_.

Hannibal's _domus_ swarmed in a constant coming and going of servants the whole night, but he kept his promise and stayed by the injured man until the first rays of sunlight crept out from behind the mountains on the horizon.

" _Domine_ , I think you should have some rest now. Allow me to take it from here" urged him with concern the petite chestnut haired servant.

"Thank you Margit. I could really use a few hours of sleep before heading to _Curia Julia_. I trust you heard every single instruction given by his physician?"

"I have"

"Then I'll leave him in your hands" her master said, leaving the two of them alone and heading to another bedroom on the opposite side of the corridor. He knocked softly, and a few seconds after a woman with blond hair in soft shoulder-lenght curls and acquamarine eyes opened the door.

" _Dominus Lector_ , do you have any news of the boy?"

"None since you left, unfortunately"

She nodded in acknowledgement. "Would you like to sleep here?"

"Thank you, Daelía"

The beautiful woman opened the door wider, allowing her master to come inside and share the bed with her for a few hours.


	13. Awakening

It took seven days for Will to actually wake up. Once opened, his eyes were greeted by the sight of a perfectly oval-shaped face, pink pouty lips and big doe-like green eyes. 

"Took your sweet time to wake up"

"Where am I?" he asked in a hoarse voice.

"Senator Lector's _domus_ "

The greek man quickly propped his bust up, and the sudden movement made him feel dizzy and hurt all over. "Ow"

"That's what you get for not being careful"

"What happened to me? Where's _Lanius_?"

"You killed him, but was stabbed almost to death and got feverish, then slept for seven whole days"

"I-I see"

The woman in front of him stood up while fixing her loose braid over her head and pin it in place. "I'll get you something soft and easy on the stomach to eat"

"I'd rather much have something to drink, please"

"I'll get you some wine, but you must have something to eat as well" she answered while fumbling with some plates on a table not far from the bed; when the concoction of wine and spices and honey* was complete, she handed some to him in a _calix_ made of copper. He thanked her and drank the whole thing in a single gulp.

"Careful not to spill it. That's real _bombyx_ you're laying on"

Will almost choked on the wine and coughed in heavy spasm. "Are you crazy? Why would anyone want to waste real silk on me?"

"No one wasted anything. You're sleeping in _dominus_ ' bed"

He looked a bit around, taking in his surroundings. He was laying on a huge bed where he was sure at least three persons would sleep comfortably, framed by _cervorum_ horns curled up in complex and beautiful arcs and tied together by strong strings made of tendons and adorned in beads made out of bones; the cream coloured silk had a nice crisp feeling on his hands, in contrast with the soft honey coloured cushions adorned with complex foreign motifs that had been laid both under his head and his legs. 

The bedroom itself wasn't as tacky as he had expected a senator's room to be. Sure, it was a mix of things from all over the _Imperium_ and some pieces of forniture looked very expensive, but they all had a minimalistic and tasteful elegance that made the ensemble pleasant to his eyes. Not even the rich damask draping the walls or the small repeated pattern framing the ceiling clashed with the overall simplicity. Will closed his eyes and inhaled the scent of Lector; when he reopened them, his gaze fell on the drawings hanging from the opposite side of the bed. They all portrayed the same awfully skinny and scarred man in the most disparate poses: ready to attack with a spear while weilding a shield, sleeping on one side while laying on the grass, sitting on a river's bank and washing his arms... 'All those details just from memory?' Will thought. So that's what Pyra was referring to when she had talked about his memory; it was comforting to see someone else's mind work in an equally peculiar way.

"Why am I in the senator's room - why am I even in his _domus_ to begin with?"

" _Dominus_ himself ordered for you to be brought in this room, as it seemed the most suitable for your conditions. And you're here because he purchased you"

He cocked his eyebrow in confusion. "He bought me?"

"Yes"

The greek man huffed, furious. "Sure, if you don't get your way with me just buy me. Go figure a _romáios_ "

"You're drawing conclusions without a clue of the whole picture"

"Then what am I supposed to do? Please, teach me how I should react to the notion of having been acquired like you acquire a new _krataér_ at the market"

The woman whirled around with a pissed off look on his face: "You should be happy he did. Your friend said you needed someplace clean and a proper carer watching over you; do you think you _lanista_ could have done something about that?"

Will's mouth suddenly ran dry. "Brianus is not my friend"

"Yeah, I can see why. You're a slave, do never forget that. You're not more entitled than me or anyone else working here, so I suggest you both manage your tongue and your expectations a little bit"

"I didn't ask to be here"

"That may be the case, but you're here and there's nothing you can do about that. _Dominus_ Lector is kind, polite and doesn't put on even a third of the airs you do. If you'll be nice, you'll receive nothing back but courtesy; the same cannot be said about most of the people living in _Roma_ , not even your _lanista_ "

"Iacomus at least treated me with respect"

The woman let out a sharp noise of bewilderment; "And what about all of this makes you think _dominus_ hasn't? Do you know who spent most of their time here, sitting right next to you during the night?"

The greek man muttered a meek "Lector?"

"Exactly. He hasn't been sleeping properly in days and gave his room up for you without batting an eyelid. That's more than anyone in your position could boast in an entire lifetime"

She seemed really protective of her master, he thought. It was useless to discuss the matter any further, although he was ready to admit that he had been judging Hannibal a little too harshly, if what she had said was true.

"I'm... sorry. I didn't want to disrespect the senator, nor you"

The chestnut haired girl was showing him his back, too angry to give a proper answer.

"I'm not that good when it comes to socialize, as you may have noticed by now"

She turned around and looked at him, although still wary.

"My name is Gwilherm, but you can call me Will" he tried again, offering his hand as a sign of peace. "I hope we'll get along from now on"

Her features softened a bit, but the greek man's hand remained untouched mid-air.

"Margit"

"Are you not from here?"

She shook her head. " _Pannonia_ "

"Your _diálektos_ is impeccable for someone who comes from such a far place"

"I was taught the _Latinus sermo_ at a very young age"

"I'm starting to regret that I wasn't taught sooner as well"

"You're not half bad, _kaíper Ellenídos ón_ "

It took Will a few moments to realize it. " _Ellenízeis_?"

Margit smiled and left the room without an answer. Since when did both noblemen and slaves of the _Imperium_ talk his language?

Despite his conditions, he decided to get up and take a walk for a bit; he despised changes, and being thrown in a completely different environment with people he'd never met upset him more than he'd care to admit. He had but barely begun to grow accustomed to Iacomus and the other _gladiatores_ , created a small semblance of a routine for himself, something stable to help him not lose his mind. He'd have to start all over again.

The _domus_ was big, but didn't look anything like the places he'd seen both in _Roma_ and _Capua_ whenever he left the _lanista_ 's _villa_ to reach the arena. The corridors were airy and the sunlight caught by this mirror or that vase lit everything, white walls only enhancing the overall brightness. The floor was made of intricate black and white mosaics in designs that were foreign to him. Wandering through the corridors he found himself in a small open area with a big squared tank carved out of _marmor_ , in the center of which stood out the statue of a man with soft curls framing a delicately chiseled face; although everything in that figure told a story about perfection in a gloriously naked beauty, a grimace of pain betrayed the otherwise calm features. One hand was lifted up, as if trying to reach the sky, while the other was tightly wrapped around what looked like an arrow supposedly deep thrusted in one of the sculpture's heels. 

A voice interrupted the almost sacral silence of that place: "One could say you were the _Moúsa_ who inspired such piece" 

Will turned around and saw a woman with hair like gold. Her smile was elegant and he noticed a single mole slightly on the left over her lips and down the straight and perfect nose.

"Although we do share the name, I look nothing like the _Paeléidaes_ "

"You shouldn't be out of bed. Margit will be mad at you when she finds out"

"I needed some fresh air"

"That is understandable"

The greek man found himself unable to properly hold the gaze with the woman's eyes; something about them seemed imposing and he almost felt compelled to look away.

"Would you care for a stroll with me?" 

"Uhm, sure"

The woman walked towards him and wrapped her arm around his. The sudden touch made him jolt.

"Did I hurt you?"

"No, that's not it. It's just... I'm not very fond of physical contact. It gives me goosebumps, and I find it far too intimate for me to bear"

"Not a fan of eye contact too, it seems"

"Eyes are distracting. You see too much, you don't see enough. And it's hard to focus when you're thinking 'those eyes are really white' or 'they must be sickly' or 'is that a burst vein?'. So I try to avoid eyes whenever possible"

"Hannibal was right. You are a curious little man"

The sudden familiarity in how she addressed Lector caught him off guard. "Are you married to the senator?"

"Oh, no. I'm just a companion. An _etáira_ , to be exact"

The implications of that term made him slightly uncomfortable, but he decided not to tackle further on the matter.

"So you come from _Ellás_ as well?"

" _Delphói_ , to be exact"

"An _etáira_ from _Delphói_? What an odd mix"

She chuckled. "I'm Daelía, by the way"

"Will"

"I know your name. You're quite the topic around here"

He looked up and sighed.

"Rest assured, you won't ear meaningless rumors as long as you stay whithin these walls. Our _dominus_ prides himself on his servants' reserve, and without being wrong"

"What about the _Urbs_?"

"You're officially dead, so I assume people will soon grow tired of gossiping about a dead _gladiator_ "

"I sure hope so, the whole situation is really starting to get on my nerves"

"I don't blame you, but have faith in your new master"

He looked at his feets as they went on with their stroll. When he rose his gaze once again, he noticed they were in front of a garden surrounded by red and blue columns. 

"Thought you'd like to see this place" 

Daelía was right. Will did like it. Although it was quite small, the bushes had beed skillfully trimmed, and the flowers perfectly aligned; upon closer inspection, he noticed they were cyclamens neatly ordered by nuance, going from a deep purple to the palest pink he'd ever seen.

"Is senator Lector superstitious?"

"Not particularly"

"I was told once that these flowers carry magical powers against snake venom and spells"

"The significance of the cyclamen is shy hope. They're supposed to bring good luck and feed love in the heart of whoever we want to be loved by. Maybe our _dominus_ wants to have someone's attentions"

"I'd never figure Lector for the lovesick type"

"Everyone loves. Even someone like him, although he barely shows his feelings"

"So stoic, so self-sacrificing"

"Don't make fun of him. He's not necessarily a good man, but has his own reasons for being the way he is"

"Reasons such as?"

"It's not my place to explain them to you"

Will turned around and finally mustered the courage to look at the woman's eyes. "Why is everyone so protective of him? You act like you're family to him"

"Everyone in here has been helped one way or another. The least we can do is return the favour by doing our jobs without complaining. You'll find it to be a more pleasant way to live soon enough. After all, you can't spend your whole life wallowing in grief and rage"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -"Spices and honey"*, as you may have already noticed by chapter 6, people (especially Greeks) used to mix cheese, honey, milk, spices and other stuff in order to weaken the alcoholic strenght of the wine, since it was fairly high;
> 
> -"Calix", "chalice, cup";
> 
> -"Bombyx", "silk";
> 
> -"Cervorum", genitive plural for "cervus", "deer";
> 
> -"Krataer", "krater", a particular type of vase from Ancient Greece used to mix wine and drink it;
> 
> -"Dialektos", "dialect", in this case he's saying that she speaks an impeccable latin;
> 
> -"Latinus sermo", "latin";
> 
> -"Kaiper Ellenidos on", "despite your being greek";
> 
> -"Ellenizeis", "Do you speak greek?";
> 
> -"Mousa", "Muse";
> 
> -"Paeleidaes", "son of Peleus" aka Achilles;
> 
> -"Delphoi", "Delphi", city where the Pythia gave her oracles.


	14. "You wouldn't like my mind when dissected"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A friend of mine who read the story said that I made Will ten times shittier than he was in the TV serie. I'm so sorry :'3

"I heard about the _Korínthios_. I'm sorry" said Cittinius, patting Lector's shoulder in a sympathetic way. The senator looked at him with an arched eyebrow.

"I'm serious! You did care for him, it must have been hard on you"

"Thanks" 

"Well, I'd better get going now. See ya" waved Fredericus, leaving him alone.

If someone as meddlesome as him believed that _Achilléus_ was dead, then there was no reason to be afraid of having someone find out. This thought effectively removed some worry from his mind, as he began scheming his next move: Pyra had just called on him. He was surprised by the speed of the process, since the woman had warned him about Dolabella's natural inclination on avoiding human contacts as much as he could.

As he came back from _Curia Julia_ he went straight for his quarters.

" _Domine_! I'm so sorry, I left him alone to get him something to eat, and when I came back he wasn't there anymore!" apologized Margit; Hannibal carefully looked around the room, trying to find out something leading to the man's whereabouts.

"No need to trace me down, _despótaes_ " called him Will with his back laying against the door frame, causing a wave of relief and tiredness to wash over the senator's figure after days spent without much sleep and a particularly heated discussion on foreign affairs going on for over a month. 

Lector's face softened. "I told you already, you should call me Hannibal"

The greek man looked at his feet. "You bought me, I woldn't feel comfortable addressing you by name"; the other nodded. That would have still required some time and patience, it seemed. But they'd get there regardless of how much time and energy were needed.

Will's gaze went for the drawings he'd noticed before. "All those details just from memory?"

"Memory, dear boy, is what I have instead of a view"

Somehow, he could understand what the senator meant. " _Roma_ is so big and colourful and filled with things to do and places to be. Yet its stench makes everything unbearable"

"It does. It almost looks like a prison, sometimes"

"You mean like some kind of golden cage?"

Hannibal nodded. "All these tall buildings and statues and flamboyance. I've been trapped in this city for more than ten years now, Will, and I know I will never escape this, at least not while I'm alive. What I want is a view, a real view. I want a window where I can see a tree, or even water. I want to be in a _villa rustica_ in a deserted place far away from this roman madness. Someplace deep within the country where no one knows my name, or my status"

"This is the price you have to pay for your mind, senator"

"You'd know it better than anyone else, I suppose"

The greek man's eye twitched slightly. "Be wary of the direction this discussion is leading to: it's very thin ice"

"Let me ask you something. Do you see everything the way I do?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, does this wall look white to you? Do you see in me the same features I see when I look at my reflection?"

"Of course I do"

"No, you don't"

Will gulped. "I should have Brianus' tongue cut"

"Iacomus told me that and I noticed as well while you were facing _Lanius_ "

"What do you want from me? Why do you do this to me?"

"Curiosity. Fascination. You were a soldier, that must have scarred you"

"Although being an _oplítaes_ didn't help my case, that is not the cause of my peculiar view. That, I'm afraid, is a gift I was granted at birth"

"You must have been a very strange kid, I assume"

"I was. I'd always tell _maétaer_ and pataér the things I saw, and none of them appreciated; very distasteful, as I already told you"

"What did you see?"

"Must you still press on the matter? Can we just talk about something, anything beside my mind?"

"I want to see the way you do. Know what's crawling inside your _cerebrum_ "

The greek man clicked his tongue in disgust. "You want to dissect me? Fine, have it your way. When I look at you I see a horrible beast black like coal from head to toe. Skinny and famelic, the appearance is the one of a _sáturos_ , but those horns are as big and pointed as the ones decorating your bed. Those adoring eyes of yours, to me, look like empty, soulless glass merely reflecting whatever they're seeing. When I hear people talk about you everything I hear are praises, but it's just so fake and made up it makes me nauseous. You're not the calm and charitable senator Margit seems to adore, nor the efficient genius Pyra depicted. Inside Hannibal Vergilius Lector Iunior dwells something far darker and wilder than anyone, even me, could ever imagine. The _prósopon_ you built for yourself is rather enchanting; naturally, I respect its meticulous construction, but still what you are wearing is just a very well crafted persona. You once said I stink of fear, didn't you? Well, it's you I fear. Because I can't seem to be able to predict your moves. Your kindness is only something temporary, you'd do the same with a lost puppy you found on the streets until you grow tired of it and just toss it aside. Were you to beat me, or treat me like _kópros_ like any other shitty _romáios_ , it'd be predictable. Not acceptable, but still predictable. This _éleos_ of yours gets on my nerves"

The awfully graphic language deeply displeased Hannibal, who took some seconds to allow the other to pull himself together.

"Are you finished?"

Will remained silent.

"Very well. I'll tell you something right now, and I sincerely hope it'll stick with you, because I won't let a second time happen. You can't begin to imagine the depth of my disdain for rudeness, and yours won't be excused. I'm sorry if you find me unpredictable, and I hope to offer more clarity on my character from now on" the senator said, walking away and effectively leaving him alone and knocking on Daelía's door soon after.

"What's wrong?" asked him the _etáira_ while pouring some wine in a _calix_.

"I think I had my first quarrel with Will"

She turned around and inspected his face. "If you did, your face isn't showing any of it"

"Please, not you too"

"Sorry, sorry. I'm just teasing you"

"I only wanted to save his life"

"The next time you have an instinct to help someone, you might consider crushing them instead. It might save you a great deal of trouble"

"His mind, I thought he could understand me. It was unwise of me to believe so"

"You spend a lot of time building walls. It's only natural for you to want to see if someone is clever enough to climb over them, possibly someone like Will"

"He said that everyone's opinion about me is but a regurgitation of things I implanted in them"

"I have seen enough of you to see the truth of you without having anyone else's thoughts added to the mix. And I like you, I genuinely appreciate what Hannibal is. But you're the one pushing his buttons: to be fair, he did warn you against certain topics. You were so hungry for an insight on that _noús_ of his that you ended up trying to manufacture it yourself and ventured in lands you shouldn't set foot on, at least not for now"

"So you talked to him. Tell me, are you in this very moment observing or participating?"

"Observing"

"You say you're observing but this, this is participation, Daelía"

She cocked an eyebrow. "I didn't mold any of his opinions, if this is what you're accusing me of. I only adviced him against rudeness when in your presence, but it looks like he doesn't listen very well to others"

"Then what do you suggest?"

"Well, it seems to me that Gwilherm would do well to have more friends. And you to draw a distinct line, so you'll know where your _conscientia_ ends and his begins. Attachment will come naturally, just give it some time"

"I don't think he'd be up for having a friend"

"I think he does, but is not ready to admit it. He is extremely lonely, which is one of the reasons why he bites the hand of anyone offering help"

"We'll know the root of this whole problem, eventually. Pyra accepted to introduce me to Dolabella"

"And you think he has the answers to everything?"

"We'll soon find out. A _nuntius_ reached out to me before I came here: I'm invited for _coena_ by the _augustus_ ' daughter herself"

"Good news for you, then"

"Indeed. I need to get ready now, but I trust you'll handle everything here?"

"Of course, _dominus_ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -"Despotaes", "master";
> 
> -"Maetaer", "mother";
> 
> -"Pataer", "father";
> 
> -"Cerebrum", "brain";
> 
> -"Saturos", "satyr", a mythological semi-divine creature living in the woods depicted as a man with ears, horns and legs (hooves included) of a goat, particularly dear to the god Dionysus;
> 
> -"Kopros", "shit";
> 
> -"Eleos", "mercy";
> 
> -"Conscientia", "conscence";
> 
> -"Nuntius", "messenger".


	15. Coena at Pyra's

"How are you?" asked Daelía while handing Will a plate.

"I'm not hungry"

"Some politeness wouldn't hurt, you know"

" _Eucharistéo te_ , but I'm not hungry" he repeated, remarking his thanks with cynism.

"You won't go much on with your attitude"

"I don't like being dissected, never made a secret of it"

"He's the _despotaés_ , you the _doúlos_ "

"Tell me something I don't know"

"Then start acting like one"

He showed her his 'are you being serious right now?' look.

"What must someone do to at least gain your courtesy? Isn't saving your life enough?"

"I am courteous towards people I respect"

"See? This is one of the reasons why I've never been proud of my _génos_. You always have to be careful not to touch an _Ellenikoú_ _timaé_ "

"I have no care for the _ýbris_ , I just despise people invading my space"

"You're having a honest talk with me without becoming furious. You should be able to manage as much with the _dominus_ "

"I'll... try"

"I think the reason you get mad at him goes beyond his intrusive questions; what really bothers you is the fact that you think you're each other's _alter ego_ "

"I don't see a lot of myself in him"

"That's not entirely true. You perception allows you to see deep within anyone else's mind, anyone's but your own. And Hannibal's"

"That is because there's really nothing to see inside my _enképhalos_. I'm an open book to anyone around me, apparently, so there's no need for me to dissect myself. Besides, I already told the senator what I think of his"

"Yes, he told me. Although he won't show it, I can assure you he wasn't happy with your analysis"

"No one ever is"

"Give him a chance, Will"

"A chance at what? I'm a mere servant he bought, so there's really nothing else to it"

"You know it's not that simple. He wants a friend in you, a companion. Someone who understands him"

"You do that"

"I don't. I cannot understand to the full depth"

"Then I suggest you make an effort, because I sure won't. I'll be a good _doúlos_ , but that's about it" he said while raising from his seat.

"If that's your choice"

"It is" the greek man confirmed, slamming the door; Daelía sighed and looked at the untouched plate he left.

In the meantime, Hannibal was having a rather unpleasant _coena_ at Pyra's. He knew about her debatable habits, but having a practically naked cortege of exotic dancers go about their day in a languish performance accompanied by foreign music was definitely not the kind of entertainment he had a taste for; his companions, however, didn't seem to mind. Most of them were already intoxicated and hypnotized by the veils flying around and the smooth curves of the entourage. 

Dolabella was the only one who wasn't paying attention to his surroundings, busy in a political conversation with Pyra's husband while his personal slave sat on his lap. Her _chitón_ was made out of golden silk and had an unusual deep neck cut that exposed a generoud glimpse of her dark and smooth chest, and two clasps kept in place the long fabric draped around her arms that touched the ground, making a trail of at least a _pes_. Her thick curls were kept in a neat updo by a delicate golden crown made of finely sculpted _laurus_ leaves and both her neck and her arms were covered in jewels.

"He seems to be close with that woman" Hannibal quietly commented.

"No one knows the girl's name, but they call her Reba. One day he came back to _Roma_ with her, and she stayed with him ever since. He's trapped in a loveless situation with a noble _matrona_ who left him long ago, but since they're still officially married he cannot wed his beloved. It's somehow sad and very romantic" explained Pyra.

"So she's not a slave?"

"Oh, she was. But he freed her. She sticks with him out of her own personal choice, although her _impeditionem_ surely can't give her much of a chance at being independent"

"I've noticed she doesn't blink and has kept her gaze in the same direction since they arrived; has she always been blind?"

"For what I've known her, yes"

Dolabella was caressing her back while offering her a plate with food. His ability to completely ignore his surroundings while tending to his love's needs was something Lector deeply empathized with and admired.

"Franciscus, allow me to introduce senator Lector to you!" Pyra said, interrupting the tender couple's moment. He incinerated her with a single look, but nonetheless paid attention to Hannibal.

"I believe we've met each other in the _Curia_ , although we never actually exchanged words. My apologies for that, I'm not very... sociable"

"No need to worry, I myself am more on the reserved side"

The other man smiled, and he noticed that the left side of his upper lip had a deep cut.

"Whatever you say, do not comment on his lip" murmured Pyra, pretending to drink with a _calix_ in front of her mouth.

"I've heard a lot about your travels around the _Imperium_ and hoped to learn more from the direct source"

"Interested in travels? Is there a place in particular that caught you attention?"

" _Ellás_ "

"Yes, it's a great place. Its people are a bit too easy on drawing the sword on each other, but their _póleis_ are undoubtedly breathtaking. Where would you like to go?"

"Oh, I dunno. I am deeply fascinated by the _Pelopónnaesos_ area, so I guess something like _Olympía_ or a tour around _Lakonikaé_? Or, I don't know, _Kórinthos_?"

As Draco heard the last name, the courteous look on his face became sour.

"That isn't a place I'm particularly fond of"

"Why not?"

"A series of reason. Barbaric, inhospitable people and filthy _aguíai_ , for example"

"Have you been there before?"

"Twice, to be exact"

"It's not a lot"

"Believe me, it's more than enough"

"Business or pleasure?"

"I never travel for fun"

"War business I assume, then?"

Franciscus' eyebrow twitched for a second. "You didn't strike me as the curious type"

"Well well, what do you say we have a little game?" interrupted them Pyra in an attempt to release the tension, and succesfully managed to do so.

The two senators kept looking at each other from time to time, one trying to figure out the other and viceversa in a silent battle of wits. The night went on in a rather pleasant way, and once it was time for the guests to go back home, Hannibal was once again confronted by Dolabella.

"It's was nice meeting you"

"I'm happy to say the same to you"

"I'll see you in _Curia_ tomorrow, I assume?"

"Of course. Might I suggest another _coena_? Maybe something less... picturesque at my _domus_? Of course Reba is invited to join us as well"

Draco remained in a diffident silence, but the beautiful woman dressed in gold came to the rescue. "If you'll have us, we'd be honoured to join you two days from now"

Hannibal nodded, bidding his goodbye: "Then I'll be waiting for you"

He got back to his _domus_ not long after and noticed the only light left on was coming from the _impluvium_ , so he headed that way and found someone sitting on the tank's edge and washing their arms. Upon a closer look, he recognized Will. He saw him as well and stopped his ablutions, rising on his feet and greeting him with a nod.

"Welcome home, _despotaés_ "

The senator's nostrils were immediately overwhelmed by the stinging smell of sweat and fear, and he noticed how the other's body was slightly shaking.

"I wanted to say that I hoped you had a good sleep, but it doesn't look like that at all"

The greek man looked down at the water dripping from his legs down to his toes to form a puddle under his feets. "I, huh, hope you had a nice feast"

Lector studied him for a bit. "You know, I don't think the _impluvium_ 's water is a good option. There are some _thermae_ which are open for the night; I can escort you to one if you'd like"

"No, no. Thank you"

"You're welcome"

Not even the _coena_ he had just come from had made Hannibal feel so awkward. 

"Listen, I don't know how to say it, so I'll just get through with it in my usual shitty way"

The other man's eyes glinted in admonition.

"Right. Sorry. What I'm trying to do is apologize. For today, I mean"

"Don't worry, no harm done"

"Still, it was shi- bad of me. I only ask you to let my past go; I myself am trying to do it"

"Will, these nightmares and visions of yours are not good, and I believe they're influencing your own well-being. There's more to what happened to you in the arena than we all know and understand"

"Please. I don't want to think about that stuff anymore"

"We'll leave it at that for now, but if something else ever happens, you'll need to deal with it. Understood?"

The greek man bit the inner part of his cheek, knowing better than to explode a second time in the same day. "Yes, _despotaés_ "

"Glad we came to an agreement. Now I need you to do something for me"

"What is it?"

"In two days we'll have very important guests here and I want you to be there with me, but they cannot see you"

"So I'll have to wear a disguise?"

"Something of the kind, yes. We'll borrow yet again the idea from _Achilléus_ himself"

Will immediately understood and asked the much needed question: "I'll help you because you're my master and I must perform my duty. But why do I need to do that?"

"I'm afraid you wouldn't like the answer"

The greek man's stern look was more than enough for the senator to just comply and tell him.

"Senator Dolabella is going to be our main guest"

He sighed. "Haven't heard that name in a while"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -"Eucharisteo te", "I thank you";
> 
> -"Despotaes", "master";
> 
> -"Doulos", "slave";
> 
> -"Genos", it literally means "lineage", although in this case Daelía is saying thay she's ashamed of being Greek;
> 
> -"Ellenikou", genitive for "Ellenikos", "Greek man";
> 
> -"Timae", it's a bit difficult to translate it correctly as it has different nuances, but in Ancient Greek ot was important that citizens needed to have timae, or "honour", else they'd be less worthy than the slaves;
> 
> -"Ybris", "arrogance, hubris", one of the worst offences in Ancient Greek, for a citizen, was to become guilty of hubris, which means having no respect for the customs and no fear for the gods;
> 
> -"Alter ego", "another me", or another version of oneself;
> 
> -"Enkephalos", "brain";
> 
> -"Chiton", "chiton", a type of dress worn in Ancient Greece which consisted of a tunic of a light material, such as cotton or linen, and seamed right under the chest in what is now known as an "empire silhouette"; another common article of clothing with similar silhouette was the "péplos", "peplum";
> 
> -"Pes", "foot", a unit of measure (29,64 cm / ~0,97 ft);
> 
> -"Laurus", "laurel";
> 
> -"Impeditionem", "impediment", used in this case as a not very delicate way to refer to Reba's blindess; the way I described how Hannibal found out comes from pure personal experience, so please do keep in mind that not every blind person acts as she does;
> 
> -"Poleis", plural for "polis", "city";
> 
> -"Aguiai", plural for "aguia", "city road";
> 
> -"Impluvium", a tank used to gather rain and store the water away.


	16. The hero's dressing

Will was being mercilessly scrubbed from head to toe by Margit, and thought of how much of a bad idea the senator's was.

"I have a bad feeling about this"

"Relax, we'll help you out" reassured him Daelía, barely able to hide the amused look on her face.

"I don't want to meet Draco"

"Why not?"

"You just need to know that I have my valid reasons"

"Whatever. You won't interact with him anyway, so relax"

"Why should the senator want me to attend if I have to disguise myself anyway?"

"He didn't say, but made it a specific request"

" _Salvete_ Daelía, did you ask for me?" interrupted them a woman. The greek man was curious about her, as her face had features he'd never seen before on anyone: her black eyes had a long and narrow cut, her complexion was slightly tanned and her pitch black hair sleek and so long it touched the small of her back. Her clothes had intricate flowers embroidered on the lower part of the legs down to the hem and also on the collar piece that was wrapped around the base of her neck*.

"Ah, welcome. Will, allow me to introduce you to Jia Li*"

She turned around and nodded. "I've heard so much about you, I hope we'll get along"

"Nice to meet you" he replied, confused.

"Don't worry, I'm here to dress you and make you look presentable"

The greek man cleared his throat. "I really don't want to seem rude, but I don't think I should be assisted by a woman"

"I've already dressed other man, if your nudity is what's troubling you"

"Jia Li is the best at what she does. Have faith in her" the _etáira_ reassured him.

"I've met Alana while coming here, so I guess she'll join us soon" informed the other woman.

"Good"

"Great, just how many people are you going to introduce me to in a single day?"

"As many as necessary. Jia Li will take care of your appearance, and Alana will help with dance and general etiquette"

He groaned.

"Look at the bright side, learning some manners might actually make you look less like a _uéios_ in your everyday routine"

Will took offense in those words and grumbled: "I'm not a _uéios_ "

Margit finally finished scrubbing him and dried the sweat on her forehead; "At least now you're decently clean"

"We'll need to do something about that scruffy beard of his"

"You're not touching my _pógon_! I'll look like a toddler!"

"Oh, please! Every respectable _Romae civis_ trims!" joined in the conversation another female voice.

"Looks like the party's finally complete. _Exoptata_ , Alana"

A tall brunette with pale blue eyes and a tasteful colour ensemble of _stola_ and _palla_ showed up, and Margit's eyes lit up.

"Four of you against one of me. Pretty unfair"

"So, is he what we'll be working with?" asked the last arrived.

"Pretty much" confirmed Daelía.

"We better get started, then" urged Jia Li.

Will couldn't even begin to imagine what it meant to be held hostage by four women, especially those. The two days deadline was spent with lessons on music and dance and teachings on both _mos maiorum_ and taking care of his looks, and the greek man swore to himself that he'd somehow make his _despotaés_ pay for that torture that he found was three times worse than serving prison time or training as a _gladiator_ ; all his roughness had to be hidden under a layer of elegance and dignity. 

After the longest couple of days of his life, it was finally time for him to prepare himself for the _coena_ and put his newly learned skill to test. Alana was the first one to show up in the morning, giving him the last bits of information before handing him to Jia Li and walking off hands to hands with Margit.

"What's the deal with those two?" he asked.

"They've always had a soft spot for each other" the woman replied while applying makeup on his face. 

"Are they lovers?"

"Would it be acceptable for the roman society, I'm sure they'd be married by now. They're almost inseparable"

"Then why didn't Alana buy her from the senator?"

"Margit is a _liberta_. Lector gives her a salary"

"And wouldn't she prefer to stay with whom she loves?"

"She'd want nothing more. But Alana is already married, and Margit is far too grateful to her _dominus_ to leave him"

"Why is this?"

"She comes from _Pannonia_ 's nobility, the _gens_ Vergens. Her mother died while birthing her and her father when she was 5, leaving her alone with her brother Matius"

"And?"

"Let's just say her brother isn't the best person you'll ever meet. Mix a despicable behavior with some arguable tastes and the resentment for his mother's death and maybe you'll get the vaguest hint of what he made his sister endure for years. Gave her off in marriage when she was 10 to some brute who got her pregnant and beat her to the point of her losing her child and the possibility to have any anymore, which made him ultimately leave her. Her brother then decided to sell her off to the best bidder as a sex slave, and that's when Hannibal got his hold on her. He offered her to work for him for three years as a token of her paying off her debt, and then he freed her"

"That's... horrible"

"It is. Everyone here has a tragic story; it appears that the senator is naturally attracted to broken things"

"Do you have a sorrowful background as well?"

She chuckled. "Not as much as one may think. The saddest thing has been living here, I guess"

"Why is that?"

"I think you already know the answer. Half of the _Imperium_ doesn't even know the name of the place where I come from, and my looks aren't a common sight around here"

"Where is it?"

" _Zhōngguó_ "

"Z-zho...?"

"The _Sinense Imperium_ "

"Is it very far from here?"

"More than you can even imagine"

"I see"

Jia Li finally laid on the ground the brush she had been using on his face. "There, all finished!"

Will rose to his feet and walked towards the _impluvium_. His reflection was a beautiful woman with a smooth skin white as alabaster and voluptuos lips barely stained by a red tint on the inner corners. Her unruly curls had been neatly combed and braided in a complex hairstyle that had the face completely exposed and left to freely cascade on the back while the intensely blue-green eyes appeared big and droopy thanks to the long eyelashes and the hinted mix of gold and a black mixture obtained by burnt and crushed ants*. The clothing, instead, consisted of a simple white linen _palla_ and a rich damask dyed in a beautiful deep scarlet that had been wisely wrapped around her body in order to both hug her figure and disguise the sharper features. The cherry on top of the cake, though, were the strings of pearls both on her neck and hair and the two big golden earrings paired with the armbands and the anklets.

He was almost jealous of himself, and finally understood what _Nárkissos_ ' deal was about.

"Careful not to drown" warned him Alana as she walked towards the man hand in hand with Margit.

"I can barely accept the fact that I had you dress me up like this"

"Oh, get over it. Think of it as the dressing of a soldier before a battle" brushed him off Daelía.

"Are we at war?"

"Yeah, you could say that. _Dominus_ intends on gathering informations from Draco tonight"

"Are other people going to be attending?"

"Me, Alana, the senator's parents, Iacomus and Bella and senator Cittinius"

"What about Margit and Jia Li?"

"They'll be your entourage"

Then Hannibal walked towards them. "Is everything ready?"

"Of course, _dominus_ " reassured him Margit.

Will turned around to face his _dispotaés_ , leaving the latter's breath stuck in his chest; if he could give something, anything, to have him undressed except for the pearls and the make up spread across the silken bedsheets of his beds only for Lector to ravish him for the entire night, he would have more than happily complied.

"I see you were properly taken care of. Good" he finally said.

"The only thing left for us is waiting for the guests, then" observed the _etáira_.

"Yes"

"How should we address him tonight, though?" asked Alana.

It took the senator a few moments before the most obvious and natural thing, for him, came to his mind: "Mischa. Call him Mischa"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -"...Her face...base of her neck"*; I'm trying to describe an asian woman wearing a hanfu, a traditional chinese clothing;
> 
> -"Jia Li"; it's Beverly. I tried looking up for a similar name in latin, but the only one I found was honestly bad, and I also thought that it would have been nicer to have the only asian character have a traditional name, so I settled for this one which, according to the website I consulted with, means "good, beautiful and brave"; I also should disclaim that I do not understand nor speak chinese, so if any of you lovelies notice a mistake on my part, please do feel free to correct me :) ;
> 
> -"Ueios", "swine";
> 
> -"Pogon", "beard";
> 
> -"Romae civis", "citizen of Rome";
> 
> -"Stola", traditional outer layer of clothing for roman women, as they couldn't wear a toga;
> 
> -"Palla", traditional inner layer of clothing for roman women;
> 
> -"Zhōngguó", if I looked up correctly it should mean "China" in traditional chinese;
> 
> -"Sinense Imperium", also "China";
> 
> -"Burnt and crushed ants"*, yes roman women really did it in order to obtain an eye cosmetic similar to kohl;
> 
> -"Narkissos", "Narcissus", a man who fell in love with his own reflection on a river and drowned trying to reach his beloved.


	17. Wild Thoughts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted Hannibal to suffer. I rest my case.

The first guests to arrive were the senator's parents; they'd been planning to withdraw from their voluntary exile to visit their son and see what all that _Achilléus_ ' fuss was about. As soon as Hannibal greeted them, he informed them on the situation and they gladly offered their help in preparing the food. Margit herself was happy to see them to work, as they'd always teach her some new tasty recipes; not only her, but every single servant in the domus adored the couple and greeted them with the highest respect. 

"Ah, Alana, Daelía! Long time no see" greeted them with a hug Senex.

"It's always a pleasure to have you here, _dominus_!" smiled the blond.

"Oh, please, let's not start with all this _dominus_ nonsense to make this old man feel even older!"

"There's no amount of white hair that'll make you look old" joked the brunette.

Will watched the scene from an appropriate distance, not sure of what to do; the inquisitive look of the older man made him deeply uncomfortable, especially given the attire he was wearing.

"And who do we have here? A new member of the family?" said Senex with courtesy.

The greek man smiled meekly and nodded with his head, hiding his lips behind the bronze _flabellum_ adorned in embossed decorations.

"My son sure has an eye for beauty. What is your name?"

"Her name is Mischa" answered Claritia, coming arm in arm with the chestnut-haired _liberta_ ; "Margit told me"

Will nodded at her as well with the lower part of his face still hidden. 

"Please take good care of our beloved son from now on" smiled the woman.

The senator walked in their direction as well.

"Ah, Hannibal! Come, keep me company in my stroll!" sollicited his father, and he complied.

"From what I seem to recall, you had told me about this interest you had on a man from _Kórinthos_ who happens to perform in an arena in _Capua_ "

"That is correct"

"Care to tell me why, on everything dear to _Iovi Capitolino_ , I get this awfully tingling feeling that that _thérapon_ of yours is disguising as your estabilished-for-a-while-now dead _soror_ Mischa?" 

A faint smile creeped on Lector's lips. "I promise you I have good intentions"

His father nodded, still confused. "And who will she be for this _coena_?"

"Just an occasional companion for the night. I assure you'll find her mysteriously vanished in the morning"

"I take that Dolabella doesn't have to know about Will?"

"Exactly"

Senex laughed while holding his belly with a hand. "This side of yours right here, all your _mater_ 's"

Soon after arrived Iacomus and Bella, who were greeted on the entrance by Margit.

"Salvete" said the enchanting _matrona_ dressed in white while the _lanista_ 's attention went to the slim woman draped in scarlet damask.

"Wait, are you-" he could muster before his wife hit him on his side with an elbow and interrupted him. "Mischa! What a pleasure to finally meet you"

Will nodded and walked away, embarassed by the encounter and in need to get some fresh air. Iacomus gave the _matrona_ an interrogative look, but she simply answered with a smile and a 'go along with it' look.

Then Cittinius joined in, greeted with a polite detachment by everyone. When he saw Misha, though, he felt like he could faint on the spot and immediately decided to stick around her for the whole evening, much to the greek man's depair and Lector's low-key sense of possessiveness over such a breathtaking _Nympha_.

Dolabella and Reba arrived as Fredericus had officially become too invasive and physical, allowing Will a moment of distraction to scram and find his way to Hannibal's arm.

"So the guest of honour has arrived" he whispered behind his _flabellum_.

"Just don't say anything and stick to what you've been taught. You'll do just fine" reassured him the other man as they walked towards the latest arrived; "Welcome, senator Dolabella. Reba"

They both nodded. "Thank you for having us in your lovely _domus_ " broke the ice the woman dressed in another shimmering golden attire. "I've heard many decant the magnificence of your residence, and I already feel almost at home"

"I'm glad you do. Please, allow me to introduce you to Misha"

"A rather lovely creature" said Franciscus while staring at Hannibal's companion.

Will's blood boiled in his veins and his intestines painfully twist his abdomen as those eyes kept exploring him; those same eyes that now had become a menacing yellow. The muscles on his body were slowly twitching as from his back peeked out the terrifying sight of two wings big at least twice their owner. 

"Why don't we show the guests inside?" suggested Lector in a gesture of good hosting, succesfully distracting the greek man from his own mind; his entire body twitched and felt quite heavy, but he nonetheless managed to smile in agreement.

Now that the full group was gathered, it was officially time for the _coena_ to begin, so they all headed towards the _triclinium_ area. Will left his _despotaés_ ' arm to go sit on a corner and begin playing a soft melody on the _phórmix_ while the guests settled on the _klínai_ and the servants brought inside the first trays filled with all sorts of food.

The greek man tried to distract himself by focusing on the instrument, but the hungry look both Cittinius and Franciscus had made him want to scream. Fredericus surely didn't have the first clue as to the mysterious' woman real identity, which made him even more willing to undress her and find out for himself. Draco was a more of a wild and unsettling guess for Will, as he knew that man's thirst wasn't something that could be quenched by mere carnal desires. He could only hope to lose himself in his own music and forget about the disturbing guest ready to jump at any moment to bite his throat and carve the eyes out of his sockets.

"So you believe that no man's beauty can be compared to a woman's? That's quite the assumption" the gaul man was discussing with Alana.

"Let's not forget what _Sapphó_ used to say about a girl's lover: 

_Φαίνεταί μοι κῆνος ἴσος θέοισιν  
ἔμμεν’ ὤνηρ ὄττις ἐνάντιός τοι  
ἰσδάνει καὶ πλάσιον ἆδυ φωνεί-  
σας ὐπακούει_*"

" _Sapphó_ said a lot of things" Cittinius stated with a dismissive hand gesture.

"Then find a man whose beauty can be compared and found superior to a woman's"

"There was one, but I'm afraid he left the earthly world a bit more than a week ago"

"Who was it?" asked Senex, already guessing the answer.

"Why, the _Achilléus Korínthios_! I'm surprised your son hasn't chewed your ears off with praises on his beauty"

"That is a very peculiar name, even for a _gladiator_ " noted Dolabella.

"Unusual, but well deserved. The man was a wonder on his _esseda_ , you should have seen him" said Iacomus.

"Such a waste to turn him into a meal for the _Lanius_ , especially since they both ended up dead!"

The _lanista_ nodded in agreement. "Yeah, the kid could have gone far. And the ladies loved him too"

"Blame it on the exoticity of his mixed blood" 

Hannibal silently prayed _Iovis_ to strike Cittinius with a thunderbolt in that exact same instant, but to no avail.

"Being a mixed blood isn't such a rare thing; nowadays any _civis_ in the _Imperium_ has at least a spot of foreign blood" said Iacomus, trying to bring the topic back on its rails.

"Yeah, but a half _Graecus_ half _Britannicus_! That man couldn't be anything but devastatingly beautiful! Add his war background to the mix, and you got yourself the deadliest thing to ever face this world"

' _Pluto_ almighty please come collect this useless soul' Lector's brain practically screamed inside his skull.

Franciscus' scarred lip twitched. "Tell me, _lanista_. Was this man's name, by any chance, something foreign?"

Iacomus attented a vague approach: "You know? I don't really remember. We barely called him by his birth name"

The Draco was having none of that. "Oh, come now! I'm sure you'd remember at least if it sounded strange, unusual!"

"Nothing comes to mind"

"Nothing at all? Not even something like... I don't know, let me think - ah! What about Gwilherm?"

It took everything inside Will to allow him not to drop his instrument on the spot. The whole room had gone painfully quiet, and everyone was waiting for the _lanista_ 's reply.

"I- that might sound familiar, yes" he admitted.

There hadn't been a moment in Lector's life where he had wished more than to have Fredericus eat his own brain and tongue and then gut him opened and left on a field with no regards, exposed to vultures and wild beasts.

"But why such interest, senator? Did you know him?" asked Alana, trying to cut through the thick tension.

"Something like that. Odd-looking for a _Graecus_. Not very handsome, but purposeful"

Hannibal made a small gesture to Will, and the greek man ceased to play; he rose from his spot and made a spectacle of his hips and his lower back while walking to go and sit on his _dispotaés_ ' lap, wrapping his arms around him and lovingly resting the head on the crook of his neck.

"So here is finally someone who met him and has not been striken by his beauty" commented the brunette. "Would you say that this enchanting young woman over here is far prettier than that man?" she then added, pointing at Mischa.

Franciscus, who had been following the girl's every movement, kept looking at her. Will tried to keep his attention elsewhere, but for a single second allowed his eyes to wander in Dolabella's direction, only to notice Draco still staring and lower his gaze immediately.

"By all means"

Lector's focus went on Reba, who had been silent the whole time. What he say was a woman trying to hold back something, as if she knew the implication of her beloved's response through and through.

"Well, there's no possible competition! Dear Mischa could be _Proserpina_ herself, there's no human graceful enough to outshine her" interrupted the silence Cittinius.

Between the awfully painful stifness that had taken his groin hostage since Will joined him and the sudden indecent advances made from the pathetic excuse of a man on his left made Hannibal feel torn between the need to end the gaul's useless life right then and there and call it a day or kidnap his personal _Persefónae_ only to drag her down to the abyss and never return her to the light.

"My dear Fredericus, you're being unfair to us women. You'll make us resentful towards that poor shy soul" replied snark Daelía.

Margit could barely contain herself from exploding in a violent burst of laughter in front of everyone while mixing wine for the guests, and Alana softly kicked her ankle in an attempt to make her stop.

The greek man shifted a bit, earning a muffled yelp by the senator.

"Sorry, did I hurt you?" he whispered.

"N-no, that's ok. It's my back, I'm a bit sore"

Will's legs moved again, trying not to bother his _dispotaés_ too much; what he didn't know was that even the lightest touch were given him an unwanted wave of pleasure that was more than unnecessary given the situation. Would Lector have been able to turn them invisible or make the others disappear he'd waste no time in ravishing him in that exact same spot.

The _etáira_ noticed her _dominus_ ' discomfort but said nothing, finding it more entertaining to see him suffer under the unnoticed attentions of the greek man's body. How the latter was able to be so oblivious and not realize something so painfully obvious was beyond her really, which amused the woman even more.

In the meantime the other guests were going on with their discussions on disparate topics, only to land on the single thing Hannibal didn't really need to hear in that specific moment: sex.

"I've recently come across the _Ars Amatoria_ by _Publius Ovidius Naso_. Pretty gimrack, if you ask me" commented Cittinius.

"And why is that? What do you suggest as the correct love strategy?" asked Claritia with a clear hint of humor that surprpisingly slipped right under the most cunning gaul man's nose.

"Although I do agree that love is war, there sure is an exact science behind it. It's a matter of saying the right things at the right time"

"Things such as?"

"Well, nothing in particular is coming to mind right now but I can assure you I have compiled dozens of poems and small compliments to use here and there with the women fortunate enough to catch my attentions"

"Oh, I'm sure they'll appear genuine and absolutely coming from your heart!" remarked the _matrona_ with a coy smile, earning a snort from her husband who laid right next to her.

Will had this weird feeling that soon he'd be dragged into the conversation, making him groan in at the mere thought; he tried to get up, causing yet another twitch by the quietly suffering senator under him, but Fredericus turned his gaze on him before he could effectively escape. "What about you, Mischa? Do you have interest in love poems and such?"

"Enough with this boring topic already! Let us see her answer you with a dance" suggested Alana. The greek man could almost taste the sweet flavor of the revenge he'd have on those evil women, one day.

"I see you have many talents" exclaimed Cittinius in genuine admiration.

He just smiled and assumed his position while Margit reached for her _aulós_. He could feel the immense pressure of everyone's eye fixated on his body, and although he tried not to pay mind to it, it was still awfully difficult to focus on both doing the steps right and being careful not to do something potentially leading to reveal his true identity; the answer showed herself halfway through the music. He closed his eyes and let the notes himself guide his every arm movement and hip sway, creating an enticing dance of both elegance and raw _eros_ in equal parts. Three-quarters through, everyone in the audience was figuratively at his feets.

Hannibal's hands gripped tightly at the fabric of his own _klínae_ , ready to jump at that vision like a starved lion at the sweetest and juiciest slice of meat; he felt like he could almost pierce through Will's clothes. His mind began to wander through dark and sensual fantasies, imagining how that lithe body would feel on his own, how it would twist itself lost in the pleasure he'd be more than happy to dispense. Those obscenely full red lips were just begging him to be kissed, as well as the delicate wrists adorned in the most finely worked gold and the smooth legs barely visible under the heavy clothing. The senator ogled the abrupt and decisive flows of that waist, imagined how they'd wiggle over his own lower abdomen in time with the filthiest movements he could think of; behind closed doors, in the privacy of his own bedroom, he wanted to take that kind of music out of the greek man's perfect body.

The music stopped, and everyone could stop holding their breath in and finally exhale. Cittinius' mouth could almost hit the ground and Dolabella kept still in an almost unnatural impassivity.

" _Si ars sexum est, tu huius Camena estis..._ *" stuttered Fredericus with his lungs deprived of air from the shock.

Lector had gone far beyond any allowed limit and could almost feel the soul leave his body from the effort of keeping his composure together, especially after being put in front of the realization that Will's just awakened natural _libido_ could actually represent a tangible threat for his poor heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -"Flabellum", some kind of an ancestor of the "fan", once also used in the catholic liturgy;
> 
> -"Iovi Capitolino", dative singular of "Iovis Capitolinus", "Jupiter Capitoline";
> 
> -"Soror", "sister";
> 
> -"Nympha", "Nymph";
> 
> -"Triclinium", typical room in a domus romana where people would consume their meals, called like that because of "tres klines", meaning the presence of three klines;
> 
> -"Phormix", an instrument similar to both lyre and zither, its origins are thought to be from Mesopotamia, also very common in Ancient Greece banquets;
> 
> -"Klinai", plural for "klinae", some kind of armchair where three people could easily lay on, people would usually have banquets or, in general, eat while on them;
> 
> -"Sappho", famous author of love poems directed to her female students, lived in Lesbos;
> 
> -"Φαίνεταί...ὐπακούει*", "Similar to the gods seems to me the man who sits in front of you, and closely listens to you" (Sappho, Ode 31 - Poem of Jealousy);
> 
> -"Graecus", "Greek";
> 
> -"Britannicus", "Britannic";
> 
> -"Pluto", latin equivalent of the greek god Hades;
> 
> -"Proserpina", latin equivalent of the greek goddes Persephone;
> 
> -"Persefonae", "Persephone";
> 
> -"Ars Amatoria", "The Art of Love" by Ovid, it is a list of strict rules that the author guarantees are effective on any woman, despite his argument that love isn't an exact science;
> 
> -"Publius Ovidius Naso", "Ovid", an author in Ancient Roma mostly known for his Metamorphoses, Heroides and the Ibis, among other works;
> 
> -"Aulos", a wind instrument with two reeds traditionally from Ancient Greece;
> 
> -"Si ars...Camena estis*", "If sex is an art, you'd be the Muse" (I wish it was mine but alas it is not; should be a quote from a song that I unfortunately was unable to track down, but if some of you know it please tell me!);
> 
> -"Libido", "sensuality".


	18. The aftermath

Both Alana and Daelía smiled with the immense satisfaction a teacher felt towards their students once their work was over. "I believe we just witnessed the birth of a monster" the brunette murmured.

"And I believe that _dominus_ ' life might accidentally come to an abrupt end" added Margit, pouring wine in their calix and bobbing her head towards the senator's direction.

Hannibal hadn't shifted his position even a little, hands still tightly gripped on his own _klínae_ and eyes glued on Mischa, who was panting heavily and struggled to stabilize her own breathing. Blue-green eyes begging the senator's deep brown to keep watching.

"Wow... quite the show, huh" intruded on the silent stare Cittinius; Lector had unfortunately lost count of the amount of gods to which he had appealed throughout the whole _coena_ , and honestly could not care less about his gruesome guest in that moment. 

What did worry the senator, though, was that his little Mischa had regrettably caught too much of Dolabella's attention, and that wouldn't have brought any good. Especially if he found out the truth, although he still didn't fully understand what his deal with Will was really about. 

"It was really impressive. _Tibi congratulator_ " clapped Franciscus.

The greek man bowed and settled once again on his _dispotaés_ ' legs. Although Lector's mind was still clouded by wanton sceneries of their bodies entwined, he couldn't help but see how Will's lips quivered and feel the way he had his nails embedded in the senator's shoulder without even noticing, almost to the point of drawing blood. That image made Hannibal feel a bit ashamed and knocked any sexual desire out of his figure, leaving only a deep sense of protection and need to take care of the clearly suffering greek man. He laid one hand in his hair, massaging his nape with a gentle scrape of nails, and put the other over the small of his back, drawing circles with his fingers over the other's spine in what he hoped was a soothing way.

"Is everything ok?" asked the always intrusive gaul man.

"Yes, of course. She just had a little too much wine and is feeling dizzy, that's all"

"I think we all have. How about we call it a day and wrap this _coena_ up?" suggested Claritia, whose intuition had immediately understood the situation; Senex nodded in agreement, trusting his wife's judgement after exchanging a complicit look with her.

"Agreed. Me and Reba both feel very tired. Aren't we, _dilecta_?" urged Dolabella, earning a silent nod from the woman clothed in sun.

Hannibal had Margit take Will to his own bed chamber and went to see his guests off while his parents were escorted to their room by Daelía. Alana found an excuse to spend the night together with the _liberta_ , not that there was really anyone there to mind that. Jia Li, who had spent the entirety of the _coena_ helping the other servants finally set out to her own place after bidding his goodbyes to the senator. 

When every single light in the domus had been put out and Lector was finally alone, he immediately went to his room, where a shivering figure sat in a corner, knees to the chest. He felt like his heart could crumble to dust in front of such sight, especially after seeing the real potential in him.

"Will, can you hear me?"

No answer.

He gently tapped his shoulder, and with a sudden motion a hand was tightly wrapped around his wrist, almost stopping the circulation of his fingers. "Will, it's ok. Draco is not here, there's just me"

His acquamarine eyes revealed the real amount of dread their owner was really going through, making the senator's chest hurt even more.

"Please..." the greek man begged, earning confusion from the other; then he threw himself on the ground kneeling, and hugged Hannibal's knees between sobs.

"Will" called the man standing in front of him, only to be ignored as he took the hands in his own and began kissing them, dampening the soft palms with his tears.

"Please..."

"Will!"

"Please..." he insisted while bringing his own face on the ground to kiss the other's feets.

Lector felt like he was being pierced through with a spear dipped in the deadliest poison. He was being begged in the most desperate and heart-wrecking sobs, and he didn't even know why. He kneeled in front of the whimpering mess the other had become, and gripped his hands on both the shoulders, forcing him to show his face. The black tint was melting all over his cheeks and the lips had red smudged all over them. "Will, tell me what's wrong"

The greek man sniffled and tried to dry his cheeks, only to spread the black streaks even more on his pale skin. " _Dispotaés_ , I implore you, never let me see that man again"

"Draco went home. There's nothing for you to worry about"

"There's plenty to! You haven't seen those terrible eyes and what they promised!"

"You're being delirious, calm down!"

"I've never been more wakeful in my life! You have to believe me!"

The senator sighed and finally settled on the ground, inviting the other to do the same. "Tell me what happened"

Will breathed in deeply and closed his eyes. He blocked any sound around him, ignored the senator's presence entirely. In that deep darkness he was alone, unbothered and still like a statue; in his mind a silver pendulum swung in darkness. 

He waited until the pendulum was still. 

_When his sight came back to him, he was laying on a_ klínae _with a beautiful woman dressed in the finest golden silk right next to her, but no amount of soft fabric or intoxicating scent of roses could distract him from what his focus was really on: a woman draped in scarlet damask swaying her hips sinuously and in rythm with the music produced by an_ aúlos _. The music was of no importance, her clothing was of no importance. Madness crawled inside his stomach like a parasite and ignited his whole body with the feverish need to touch her, slam her delicate spine on the ground._

_The faint crack of the bones violently hitting against the hard ground and the smell of fear filling his nostrils woke the demon whithin his own body; he kneeled over the helpless figure and bit off some flesh from the throat and the shoulders, earning almost inhuman screams from her. Everyone was looking at them: Fredericus, Alana, Daelía, Margit, Senex, Claritia, Hannibal. But why weren't they interfering?_

_Then he noticed everyone's throat had been sliced open, effectively and instantly killed although forced to look at them with their eyes open. They were just a framing device for a bigger, more grandiose picture. One that had him and Mischa as the stars of the performance._

_She was lovely, wasn't she? The blood smudged around her tender skin glistened in the dim light of the_ triclinium _. He was sure she'd look even more beautiful under the moonlight, where crimson appeared quite black. So he carried her outside, allowing the two of them some more...privacy. He began stripping the terrified creature, effectively ripping the fabric and exposing more smooth flesh for him to bite and scratch. His hand slid from the woman's knee up to her inner thigh, only to settle on cupping one of her small and perfect buttocks._

_No amount of begs and pleads could discourage him from exploring that body even further, with the same kind of insatiable curiosity one would associate to a kid who had barely begun exploring his surroundings. Then he wrapped both his hands around the delicate neck, squeezing tightly until her face became red and her eyes rolled on the back of her head while he felt the small popping sounds of her bones breaking under his powerful grip; when he let go her face fell lifeless on one side._

_Mischa was dead._

Hannibal listened to everything carefully, without interrupting. When he was finished, he put an hand over his trembling cheek and laid his forehead against the other's.

"Let me in, Will. Tell me what happened back in _Kórinthos_. Everything you remember, any detail that comes to mind. I'll help you. You can come and talk to me any time you need"

"I can't... I can't..."

Lector sighed; there was no point in prying any further, not while the greek man's conditions were like that. He helped them both up and lead him to his personal _lavacrum_ , where he undressed and settled him in the _labrum_ and started a fire in the _domus_ ' private _hypocaustum_ which almost immediately turned the water to bathe in warm. Then he slipped inside and settled behind Will, scrubbing the other's back; once he was finished he laid the greek man's head against his own shoulder and delicately washed any pigment residue off of his face. When he was sure he had been thoroughly washed, Hannibal could finally relax and lean his back against the marble edge of the tub, absent-mindedly drawing circles with his finger pads on Will's chest.

After some time the water turned cold and the senator decided it was time finally for them to go to bed, and the same cautious attentions were spent on drying the other's body.

"Did I cause this?" the greek man asked while tracing with his fingers the scratches on the senator's shoulder, earning a wince.

"Nothing that won't heal on its own"

" _Syngnómae_ " he whispered almost imperceptibly.

Hannibal never let the other's hand go while they walked back to the senator's bedroom.

"I'll leave you to your rest now" said Will, trying to let the other's hand go.

Lector squeezed his hand a bit harder, preventing him from removing his grip; "You'll sleep here, with me"

"I really shouldn't. I have my own bed, one that you kindly offered me"

"I'll have it removed in the morning"

"Then I'll sleep on the ground"

"Will, this is not negotiable. Your _dispotaés_ is commanding you"

The greek man gulped as the weak fight he put up ceased immediately, and he allowed the senator to lead him inside. Hannibal's chest warmed his back and the knees perfectly fit into the other's crooks; it was the first time in a very long time since Will had been laying in bed and basking in someone else's warmth, let alone with a man's hand resting on his waist, but he nonetheless drifted off into one of the deepest sleeps he ever had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -"Tibi congratulator", "congratulations";
> 
> -"Lavacrum", area of the domus used for washing, similar to our bathrooms except it had no toilet;
> 
> -"Labrum", basin similar to our bathtub usually made out of metal or stone;
> 
> -"Hypocaustum", a form of heating system introduced in the Empire which replaced the braziers, as their fumes were deemed dangerous to inhale; it was usually kept on by servants;
> 
> -"Syngnomae", literally "forgiveness", it's a way to ask someone to forgive you for something.


	19. Devotion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should I specify that they're both naked from start to finish? Yeah I probably should.

It was still dark outside when Will woke up, but his eyes were greeted by the flickering lights of some _candelae_. A chill through his spine made him notice the missing embrace of the senator, who was keeping himself busy on a _mensula_ facing the opposite side of the bed. 

Hannibal's head rose as he cautiously studied his surroundings, only to relax immediately after and go back to focus on the source of his attention whilr saying: "I hope you had a nice rest".

"I did" the greek man replied groggily.

"You should go back to sleep. It's still very early"

"I could be saying the same"

"Ask me to, then"

Will rose from the bed in a rustle of delicate blankets and walked towards him, hearing his chest rising and falling quicker and quicker with every step; he stopped when his abdomen was less than an inch away from the other's soft dirty blonde hair. His hands went on Lector's face with affectionate devotion, caressing his cheeks and playing with the little locks of hair covering the ears. Such attentions didn't fall unwanted on the senator, who let his head fall backwards against the other's belly with parted lips and closed eyes, basking in the burning sensation those featherlight touches caused all over his skin and his heart.

"Do you want me to beg you? " _Dispotaés_ , the feeling of a cold and empty _stratum_ is making your most humbly devoted _doúlos_ weep and call for your warmth" is what you want me to say?"

Hannibal groaned. "That would be an excellent start, yes"

"That wouldn't be proper now, would it?"

 _Inferis_ with impropriety. "Since when do you care?"

"It would go against my character and everything I've built to keep you out of my mind"

Lector took one of Will's hands in his and dragged his lips against the delicate wrist. "How about we forget social constructs until we hear the _alaudarum_ song? Then you'll be safely returned to your room and your distrust, no harm done"

Will scoffed. "Should I give in to these weird customs of you _romáioi_?"

Everything inside the senator's body screamed 'please do'. "Experience should not be a problem for you"

The greek man's caresses ceased immediately and his hands almost glued to his thighs. The suddenly touch deprived Hannibal rose from his seat and faced him with an inquisitive look on his face.

"What's wrong?" 

"N-nothing" he lied, taking a small step back.

That movement didn't escape Lector even as he kept the gaze on his. Then he took a step forward, earning another back and so on until the other's back touched the wall.

"Will?"

"I'm- You- It's very cold. I should go back to sleep" he replied with a dismissive hand gesture.

The senator immediately caught the opportunity and grabbed that same hand in his, focusing his attention on their palms touching against each other; this earned a yelp from the other and made his gaze go back once more to the now clouded acquamarine. The way Hannibal's thumb rubbed small circles on the tender flesh of his palm was so affectionate, so private and intimate that it made Will's knees wobble and his heart thump loudly against his chest, forcing his eyes to shut close and his tongue to lick his suddenly dry lips.

"I..."

"Yes?"

"I've never...never..."

"What is it, dear boy?" Hannibal intimated him without ceasing his almost painfully thorough ministration, but insted laying his free hand on the other's cheek, casually glossing over the thin and perfect lips with the other thumb, earning a stifled moan from him.

The greek man shook his head almost imperceptibly. "I never had..."

Lector's whole body shuddered as he pieced together the rest. "You mean you didn't...? What about your...?"

"I loved her more than anything, just never felt the need to..."

"But your son...?"

"He...wasn't mine. My wife had him with her first husband"

It was in that moment that the senator could actually feel his own soul slither through his teeth, trying to leave the body. Pure and incorrupt, truly worthy of the name _Achilléus_ ; nothing more could be asked.

He trapped Will's torso between his and the wall as his hands wandered to the thighs, clutching them and forcing the legs up, only to have them wrapped around his lower abdomen. Teeth clashed against each other in an awkward first attempt of kissing, but soon enough both their lips and tongues found just the right rythm for a passionate music made of muffled moans and growls.

The greek man was sure that, along with the sun at dawn, some nasty bruises too would have risen on his soft flesh, but for a reason still foreign to his mind he was sure he wouldn't mind; that would have been just another way to show the others who his loyalty had been pledged to. He was ok with going back to his old distrusting self who turned a cold and suspicious shoulder on his own _dispotaés_ , but not in that moment. _Rododáktylos Éos_ would soon draw near in her splendid _díkyklon_ trained by two fast horses, but until her appearance on the sky he was a _doúlos_ devoted body and soul to the only person capable of understanding his pain and his sorrow, maybe even see beauty in them. 

Hannibal interrupted the kiss, breathing in deeply as he admired the masterpiece he had created: Will reduced to a panting mess with clouded half-mast eyes and bright red lips beaded by a small trickle of saliva that had been connecting their mouths.

"Another" the greek man ordered, and Lector happily complied.

"Another"...

"Another"...

It was madness, the way he begged for his senator's lips could only be compared to the feverish cries of help from someone who had just found the cure to their deadly illness; both relief and pleasure overwhelmed his senses making him want to cry, and the painful stiffness of his lower regions, of course, didn't help, nor did the sudden realization that they were both naked and grinding against each other like crazy in search of that desperate friction that could at least relieve some of their mutual tension.

Lector was the only one between them still trying to somehow muffle his moans of pleasure, burying his face in the other's soft and unruly curls while inhaling his scent. After some minutes of his thin lips brushing against the silky smooth skin of the neck, he found a new use for his mouth: teeth and tongue both sliced and slid against the jugular, tasting the salty mix of desire and fear together. The greek man's brain was utterly unable to process the amount of stimulation given, only allowing him the chance to either shiver or mewl without actively participating in reciprocating the attentions. After a particular hip thrust from the senator's side made his eyes roll back, he came undone and his legs finally gave in, letting his whole body slip dead weight on the ground. Hannibal followed suit on his knees, but the way he trembled and growled like a feral beast made Will notice the fact that he still hadn't found relief.

"What can I do for you, Han- _dispotaés_?"

The way his _doúlos_ had almost lost control of himself and called him by name did just the right trick: Lector lost track of any inhibition (not that there was much to begin with in such occasion) and sank his teeth in Will's neck deep enough to draw blood while his hand slid between their bodies and tended to his aching shaft until it sputtered thin white lines all over the greek man's stomach. It took more than a few minutes for the both of them to ride out of their mutual climax and get a grip on their own bodies, and when they managed to do so they noticed the first rays of sunlight slithering through; the saffron-dressed goddess with the face streaked by tears of dew* had finally come to collect one lover from the other.

"I must go now" said resolute the greek man.

"Is there really nothing for me to say that will prevent you from leaving my bed cold and empty?"

Will smiled. "No can do"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -"Candelae", "candles";
> 
> -"Mensula", "small table";
> 
> -"Stratum", "bed";
> 
> -"Inferis", dative for "inferi", the greek/latin equivalent of the "beyond", which had a neutral connotation; in this case it's used as the english way of saying "To hell with...";
> 
> -"Alaudarum", plural genitive for "alauda", "lark"; a bird known for singing at dawn (also quoted in Romeo and Juliet);
> 
> -"Rododaktylos Eos", "Pink-fingered Aurora", the goddess of sunrise who opened Heaven's gate according to Homer's Odyssey;
> 
> -"Dikyklon", "chariot";
> 
> -"The saffron...dew"*, still referring to Eos/Aurora.


	20. "Righteous, reckless, twitchy little man"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 19 left me empty and in need of writing more M/M action, and that's how a certain Ace Attorney NaruMitsu FF was born.

As he walked back to his room Will stumbled across Daelía because of course he had to; the devilish grin plastered all over her face just pissed him off more.

" _Salve_ "

"I see you two spent the night healing each other" the _etáira_ remarked as her eyes went all over the blooming bruises on the soft flesh of his thighs.

"That's none of your business"

"You changed you mind quicker than I had anticipated. I suppose I should be happy for Hannibal?"

The greek man's pride had been pricked by those words. "I got his attention on my feet, not off them"

"You're being being particularly unkind today. Tell me, did he bend you over his bed and sodomize you until your legs felt sore? Is that why you're so grumpy?"

Will scoffed, utterly unimpressed by the woman's insult. "No, but it seems like you did, though I have to admit that it took me a while to figure it out. You didn't seem like the type of person able to do something so blatantly malignant towards someone else"

"Extreme acts of cruelty require a high level of empathy, and I do not posses such gift"

"You basically threw me in Draco's arms"

" _Dominus_ Lector wanted you disguised. I merely obeyed an order"

"Did you give him the idea of dressing me up as a woman? Where you aware of Dolabella's peculiar tastes?"

"I only heard rumors"

"And you wanted to confirm the truth behind those gossips"

"Yes"

"What's the deal with you? Are you jealous because I stole your pedestal?"

"Don't flatter yourself too much. We are nothing alike"

"Then why?"

"Nothing personal. It would have been either me or you and I decided that my own skin was too dear to me; after all, you have a wonderful husband who'll gladly come to the rescue, will you ever be in danger. Also do not underestimate him, he's not so easily manipulated"

"What do you mean?"

"I may have suggested that, yes, but he agreed with me. And I doubt he didn't hear any rumor about the man"

"So you both decided to feed me to the _drákon_ "

"In a certain way, yes"

Will snickered. "You're so full of _kópros_ "

"Pardon?"

"The evil mastermind persona doesn't suit you at all, you know; I may be damaged, but I'm certainly not an imbecile like senator Cittinius. You leveraged on his curiosity, and for whatever reason he went with it. You're just a pathetic excuse of woman too scared to expose herself, which is why I've hardly ever seen you leave this _domus_. I'd pack my things and leave now if I were you, Daelía; if Dolabella's really back to hunt now, rest assured that this time around I'll be the one putting you in nice clothes and showing you off"

Her hand landed on his cheek in a resonating smack. "Righteous, reckless, twitchy little man. You might as well cut all of our throats and be done with it"

The greek man pursed his lips. "Ready or not, here he comes"

Then he walked away and finally reached his room, leaving her alone.

"Did you hear everything?" she asked as Alana appeared from the shadows of a corridor.

"Only the essential parts"

The blond scoffed. "Seems like I got beaten at my own game"

"Yes, it appears so. What are you gonna do now?"

"Face whatever punishment Hannibal sees suited for my misbehaving, I suppose"

"Poor Daelía. Swallowed whole, suffering inside senator Lector's bowels for what must have felt like an eternity. You didn't lose yourself, you just crawled so far up his _tergis_ you couldn't be bothered"

"Do you happen to be on his side?"

"I just feel somehow empathetic to his cause: he just wants to be left alone to some peace and quiet. And forcing him to face someone who clearly scarred him wasn't the smartest decision"

"Tell that to _dominus_ "

"I did. I told him to not let him get too close, you could clearly see he was crumbling in smaller pieces under our eyes with every minute spent in the senator's presence"

"He is trying to get to the root of Will's problems. Draco is an unfortunate necessity in figuring it out"

"There's more to senator Dolabella than any of us is willing to find out"

"Talk to Reba. She was clearly holding something back"

"I noticed as well. The difficult part is that she never leaves her _amatus_ ' side"

"Not when he's in _Curia Julia_ "

Daelía's eyes gleamed with curiosity. "Why are you helping me?"

"Because I don't think the _Korínthios_ is a bad person, and he deserves his revenge on whatever made him the way he is. But I also understand that he won't take initiative, and Hannibal is already keeping himself busy cleaning after the mess his mind has been reduced to"

"So you're doing some kind of public service"

"I was there as well. And Margit happens to be a woman; I just want us - her - to never risk getting such a man's attentions"

The _etáira_ smiled fondly. "I was the same, once. I'll go talk to Reba, but only because you suggested so"

" _Minerva_ forbid you did a service to your own _dominus_ "

"I'm not Margit. I've seen enough of him... I was with him behind the veil, while all of you were always on the other side"

"Why don't you run away, then?"

"Hannibal would never allow me"

"Then you'll just keep living without being yourself. I pity you, Daelía" sighed Alana, leaving the other alone once again to set off to her own _domus_ where she was unfortunately sure enough her husband, senator Bolanus, was waiting for her to come back.

The blond woman had had enough of people scolding her that morning, but still had to face the consequences for her actions; if Will had found out about her little trap then sure enough Lector was well aware himself. Swallowing her anxieties back down her throat, she knocked on her _dominus_ ' room door.

"Yes?" he answered.

"I thought you could use some _vinum_ " 

"You were right"

The _etáira_ slowly entered the room and the still lingering smell of sweat and saliva immediately let her mind wander to sceneries of the two men's intercourse. The bed was completely unmade and Lector was sitting down to work on a drawing on his _mensula_.

"Care to tell me why you came here?"

"For the _vinum_ "

"Aside from that. What's on your mind?"

She found that her voice was failing her. "I- "

"Is it about the _coena_?"

"Yes"

"Then let's have a little recap, shall we? I told you about Will and you, who already heard some worrying things on Dolabella's account, suggested me to have him disguised as a woman - which, don't get me wrong, was pleasantly worth the wait - and voluntarily had our little Mischa get triggered to the point of turning her into a sobbing mess for the whole evening"

"Yes"

"And I allowed you to do so. I don't see why I should be mad at you"

"I should have told you about what I had heard"

"But then I wouldn't have gotten the chance to see them in the same room. You've been naughty, Daelía, but I won't punish you. You can go now"

She nodded while sighing in relief and left her _dominus_ to his own mind, planning her next move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -"Drakon", technically "snake", but it's also used to refer to the first concept of "dragon" the Ancient World had;
> 
> -"Tergis", ablative plural of "tergum", in this case used as a decorous manner to refer to Lector's ass;
> 
> -"Amatus", synonym of "dilectus", "beloved";
> 
> -"Vinum", "wine".


	21. Quid pro quo

A few weeks passed without nothing relevant happening in Lector's domus. Will spent his days helping out with everything his _dispotaés_ asked him; everything but the pleads to spend the night in Hannibal's room. As much as he had enjoyed what had happened, he wanted to consider it just a moment of weakness, not a habit; he wasn't some cheap _prostitutus_ the senator could use to warm his bed, and no amount of pleads or promises of his good intentions moved the greek man from his stance.

He had particularly grown fond of the _domus_ ' hound, a beautiful dog with a sleek and muscular figure and a short black fur that felt like velvet to the touch; his name was Cerberus, and Will found it eerily appropriate for the elegant beast. Most of his days, when he wasn't attending to Lector's request, were spent playing with him in the meadows just outside the city's walls, only to come back when the sky turned orange.

Hannibal quickly noticed the other's fondness for animal and found it extremely endearing.

"I see you get along just fine with Cerberus and the horses"

"I've always found myself more drawn to _zóois_ than humans. I don't have to strain my own mind to understand them, their needs are a bunch of simple but fundamental things. And I've always found that dogs keep promises a person can't"

The senator smiled. "On that we do not disagree. Must be soothing for someone like you to be surrounded by beings without secret intentions, scheming behind your back"

"It's more about the unconditional love. No matter what you do or who you are, your dog will stick with you through good and bad times"

"So you look for absolute devotion in who you love"

"Isn't that something anyone would be naturally drawn to?"

Lector's gaze became distant for a moment. "No, not everyone"

"Did you meet someone like that?"

"In my youth"

Will thought about how little he actually knew about his _dispotaés_. "What was young senator Lector like?"

"Are you curious about my past?"

He shrugged. "We're the same. You want to know about me, and I about you"

Hannibal chuckled. "I guess there's no arm in some _quid pro quo_. What did you want to ask me?"

"You once told me I didn't know much about _Roma_ 's customs after assuming you were from here. Was I wrong?"

"Only partially"

"How so?"

"I was brought here when I was around ten years old, so I grew up _romáios_ despite my birth place"

"So you were adopted"

"Yes. I originally come from _Lithuania_ "

"What happened to your family?"

"I don't know. Haven't heard from them ever since"

A small silence fell between them as Will internalized the new informations.

"What about yours? What's your worst memory of childhood?"

The greek man looked at him, but all the dark brown eyes told him was 'quid pro quo'. "The death of my father" he spat out as his throat suddenly felt dry.

"Were you two close?"

"Not particularly. He'd usually spend more time in _kapaeléiois_ than at home, and when he was he'd pound me and _maetaér_ like we were _polýpodes_. Pity you didn't get to see his face: horribly disfigured by years and years of war"

"Then why did his death affect you so much?"

"It affected my mother who just stopped eating, taking proper care of herself or the house and providing for her own son"

The empathy of that man was something truly beautiful to behold. "You made her grief your own; did she starve you?"

"Money had never been a certainty up to that point. It only worsened an already bad situation"

"Did you love her?"

"I did. _Quid pro quo, dispotaés_ "

"Go on"

"Who's Mischa?"

The relaxed look on the senator's face immediately turned sour. "My sister"

"Where is she now?"

"Dead"

"Sorry to hear that. What happened?"

"That, I'm afraid, is the one thing I am not willing to discuss"

Will's brows furrowed. 

"Let's make a deal then, shall we? When you'll be ready to tell me about your wife's death circumstances, I'll tell you Mischa's"

"I assumed you'd ask Dolabella about my past"

"Doubt he'd be of any help"

"Why do you say that?"

"He didn't even recognize you, so whatever part he had to do with your past is just a fraction of a bigger design"

The greek man was satisfied by the other's response. "So close, and yet so far. But I expect you won't need a hint"

Hannibal's thin lips curved upwards. "That would be no fun"

"I suppose you're right. After all, you're the one trying to catch me, not the other way around"

"When I'll succeed, you'll belong to me body and soul. I hope you're prepared for that"

Will leaned towards Lector and whispered in his ear: "I'll look forward to it", earning a groan from him; then he walked away, whistling at Cerberus to follow him for their usual stroll.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -"Prostitutus", male "prostitute";
> 
> -"Zoois", dative plural for "zoon", "animal";
> 
> -"Quid pro quo", literally "something in place of something else", is a figure of speech to ask something in exchange for something else (Silence of the Lambs fans, I'm looking at you *wink wink*);
> 
> -"Kapaeleiois", dative plural for "kapaeleios", "tavern";
> 
> -"Polypodes", plural for "polypous", "octopus"; to be punded like an octopus is a common figure of speech in Italy to describe someone being violently beaten, like you beat an octopus against a rock to kill it after you fished it.


	22. Isis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! Sorry for the huge delay, I had to take a forced hiatus mainly because I've entered a phase where I really really hate everything I write, so my crippling depression and performance anxiety are having a real blast :') :') :')  
> Hope to make it up to you in the future! Also also, I'm currently working on two other Hannigram fics that I'll post if I like how they turn out! (Promise they're not as long as this one for those of you who may be interested ;) )

"Did you call for me?" asked Margit after knocking on Daelía's door; the _etáira_ immediately opened it and grabbed the _liberta_ 's arm, dragging her along the corridor. Despite the delicate appearance, the blond woman was quite strong and it took the other one a few seconds before succesfully managing to free her own limb grom the grasp.

"What's gotten into you?"

"Come with me"

"Why should I?"

"Because I need to do some errands"

"And what does that have to do with me?"

Daelía cocked her eyebrow giving her a 'you-know-why' look.

"I've got stuff to do and Alana will be joining us soon anyway, so- "

"Oh, forget about her for once! I cannot leave the domus without someone escorting me"

The _liberta_ sighed. "Is it at least something important?"

"Crucial, for Hannibal"

She furrowed her eyebrows, suspicious. "Can you guarantee it?"

"You'll see it for yourself"

To that, Margit could not reply. She agreed to accompany the _etáira_ out of their _domus_ and into the busy streets of _Roma_ , barely able to keep up with her as she slithered through the crowd almost unbothered by the overwhelming amount of people compressed against each other; the blond woman had to stop and wait for her companion multiple times before reaching their destination.

"I still don't get why you had me escort you since you seem to be more than capable to walk around on your own"

She rolled her eyes in annoyance. "How many times do I have to repeat you that I never leave the _domus_ alone?"

It was the other woman's turn to show her frustration with a loud sigh. "Anyways, where are we?"

"Senator Dolabella's"

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MI- " she shouted, only to be immediately silenced by the _etáira_ 's hand on her mouth.

"Keep quiet and follow my lead" the blond woman intimated, walking towards a figure dressed in gold sitting on the steps of the _domus_. " _Salve_ Reba"

The woman tilted her head and smiled. " _Salvete_. Daelía, right?"

"Exactly"

"To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Oh, we were just passing by and noticed you. Thought it would be nice to say hi"

"Thank you, it was nice"

They all stood in awkward silence for some seconds, polite smiles plastered on their faces while none of them wanted to engage in the obvious question Reba apparently didn't want to ask and the blond woman thought rude to initiate.

"So, are you going to let us in?" barged in Margit, earning a hit in her stomach by the other's elbow.

The courtesy immediately left the beautiful woman's features. "I'm afraid not. Franciscus isn't home, and I'm not allowed to entertain guests unattended"

" _Mehercule_ , so many strict rules. Is it also mandatory that you wear gold from head to toe all the time?" asked the chestnut haired woman, and a second hit came soon after.

Reba, though, didn't seem to mind and meekly chuckled. "Yes, I'm afraid so. But I do not mind, he always gives me the softest and prettiest fabrics, which leaves me with virtually no room for complain"

"I thought you'd been granted freedom" said Daelía, effectively regaining control over the conversation.

"Yes, I was. I accepted his conditions willingly, after falling in love with him"

"Reba, you didn't tell me you had made new friends!" commented a tall figure with a mellifluous voice. Margit stared at the heavily painted face that barely hid the rough edges and marked features; their pale blue eyes went on her direction, and as they noticed the stare they hid part of their face behind the green _palla_.

As she heard the voice, Reba began trembling. "I-Isis! Didn't notice you came back!"

The _etáira_ noticed that something was off, but didn't comment. "I'm Daelía, and this is Margit"

The figure chuckled in a sinister way: "Isis. Charmed"; Then looked a the woman dressed in gold and suggested with a dramatic hand gesture: "Why don't we invite your guests inside? You're not alone, after all"

They entered and walked through narrow and cramped corridors covered in vase shards and other damaged furnitures that had surely enough made the place look opulent, once; to top it all, a thick line of dust covering everything like a sheet on a bed.

"I'm sorry for the mess, we rarely have visitors" apologized Reba.

"Don't be so harsh on Franciscus. Poor man had to fire every servant once you came here" admonished Isis.

"Why is that?" asked Margit.

"Because he had to make sure no one stole her. He says she's more valuable than anything in this _domus_ "

"So she dresses her in gold"

Another sinister chuckle. "An excess of smartness is very unlady-like. Shall we head to my room?"

"N-no, I think mine wold be more suitable"

"You're no fun Reba. I wanted to show them my _collectanea_ "

"I'm sure they'd be delighted to look at it some other time" Reba muttered unsure.

"I entertainment myself by gathering dead _papiliones_ , you see" Isis informed the two women as they all reached a room filled wall to wall in golden miscellanea; everything, from the soft drapes to the accessories and the _mensula_ they were laid on was made of the same material. "Isn't it marvelous?" the weird-looking woman asked, strutting inside like it was her own room while Reba sat down on a corner.

"So, you've been friends for some time?" asked Isis.

"We've met each other a couple of days ago, at senator Lector's _coena_ " informed Daelía as a small white dog entered the room; it went straight to the tall woman with pale blue eyes, who greeted it as "Pretiosus!" while she taking it in her arms to fix it on her lap as she sat down on the golden silks covering the bed.

"That's a nice _canis_ " said Margit.

"He is" cooed Isis towards her pet.

"Isis and Pretiosus are practically inseparable" added Reba.

"Do you live here?" asked her the chestnut haired liberta.

"She is Franciscus', um, younger _soror_. He takes care of her since they were orphaned many years ago"

"I'm sorry to hear that"

"Oh don't be. We don't miss them, right Pretiosus?" dismissed Isis. The sinister look gave the _etáira_ the chills, as if something about what the woman had just said was awfully wrong.

"Right. Um, I hear he travels a lot? For the _augustus_?" pressed Margit.

"We all do- we're always together, like a real family. Because we are one, aren't we Reba?"

The woman gulped, then murmured: "Yeah"

"Then I guess you must have been seeing a lot of different places!"

"We did. _Gallia, Hiberia, Graecia_ ; once even went to _Chartago_ "

"I myself come from _Graecia_ " informed Daelía.

Isis smiled. "Is that so? Which part are you from?"

" _Kórinthos_ "

The smile slowly distorted itself in a creepy exposure of perfectly white teeth that wanted to be corteous but instead came out as off-putting. "Haven't been there in a while"

"And how did you like the _pólis_?"

"I have no interest for busy places; I tend to wander in the countryside"

"I see. Well, must have been a nice view"

Another sinister glint flashed through the pale blue eyes. "Very beautiful indeed"

"My, look at the time! I think we ought go back, or else the master will be displeased!" interrupted Margit, and the _etáira_ more than happily complied with the implicit request to get out of an unsettling situation as quickly as they could.

"You're right. Well, it was nice meeting you Isis"

"Pleasure was all mine" 

With that, they were escorted back to the front porch and off they went, finally able to sigh in relief.

"We have to tell _dominus_ about this Isis!" exclaimed Margit.

"For once, I agree with you"

They practically ran throughout the still crowded _vicis_ with the urge to put as much distance as they could between themselves and the disturbing setting they'd just come out of.

Hannibal was admiring the forms of Cerberus and Will playing in the meadows at twilight, keeping his distance almost afraid to interrupt the idyllic figure and too busy with his drawing anyways.

" _Dominus_ Lector!" called him the chestnut haired woman as she approached him.

"Margit! Why are you outside the _domus_?"

"I was looking for you. Me and Daelía have to talk to you about something important!"

"Oh?"

"She's right" agreed the _etáira_ who'd followed suit the _liberta_.

"Then do sit down and tell me, please"

The two women settled themselves and began telling him everything.

"A sister?"

"That's what they told us" confirmed Daelía.

"I'm sure Pyra never mentioned a _soror_ "

"Then who was the mysterious _mulier_?"

"We'll have to ask that to the _augustus_ ' daughter herself. Go to her house to invite her for a feast here, I'm sure she won't refuse if you'll mention the presence of the _Korínthios_ "

"Will do" Margit nodded as she walked away.

"What are you gonna do with this information?"

"Nothing, for now. You said she was an odd-looking woman"

"Very peculiar. Five foot ten, strongly built, about a hundred and eighty pounds; hair blond, eyes pale blue"

"Strongly built?"

"Yes. Despite her very feminine clothes and make up, she couldn't really hide the toned arm muscles and the fairly broad shoulders"

"So you're thinking of a man dressed as a woman"

"I don't know. They referred to her as a 'she' and called her Isis, and I don't have a reason to disrespect how someone addresses themselves"

"Whatever the case is, if it's really a man then the whole younger _soror_ story has just been debunked"

"Maybe they are related after all"

Hannibal looked at Will once again and chuckled. " _Egregius pusio_ "

"Huh?"

"This is what he's been desperately trying to hide. Dolabella disturbs him to no end, but he didn't refuse to meet him. Why would he so willingly accept to meet the same man who supposedly hurt him to the point of refusing to discuss about his past?"

"Because he's not the real mystery to unravel" answered Daelía.

Lector nodded. "But he never mentioned Isis..."

"...Because she may be the real key" the other finished.

The senator looked back at the blond woman with a sinister smile. "I think Pyra has been hiding something as well. What shall we do about that?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -"Mehercule", "by Hercules!", it's an exclamation similar to the english "my God!";
> 
> -"Collectanea", "collected objects" or "collection";
> 
> -"Papiliones", "butterflies";
> 
> -"Pretiosus", "Precious";
> 
> -"Canis", "dog";
> 
> -"Vicis", dative plural for "vicus", "street (of a city)";
> 
> -"Egregius pusio", "remarkable boy".


	23. At the market

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! Still in the ugly phase of hating everything I write, but thanks to the help of some friends it's getting slightly better! (especially my dearest pseudo-wives Lu and [pazpas](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pazpas/pseuds/pazpas) \- by the way, she recently wrote a lovely Billy x Steve FF, so go give it a read if you're into it! - who've been very patient and comforting)
> 
> I swear I'll do my best to go back to my summer uploading schedule, and in the meantime hope you'll like what I'll post!

Two weeks of Lector inviting Pyra over for _coena_ , two weeks of her rejecting him with the oddest excuses. He was sure, at that point, that she was definitely keeping something from him, which made the whole circumstance even more suspicious. 

Then he finally met her _lectica_ on a _vicus_ teeming with merchants.

" _Ave, Pyra_ " he greeted her politely.

"Senator Lector. It's always a pleasure to see you around"

"I was afraid my continuous invitations over the course of these last few days had made you less inclined to a friendly disposition towards me"

"Oh, on the contrary! It's a honour to be so coveted at one of your infamous _coenas_. I've just been busy with some things, plus the new _Ludi_ will soon start"

"I take it that you'll secretly take care of it this time too?"

"Yes. Though I have the feeling that it'll be more boring with our _Korínthios_ now basking in the endless peace of the _Elysium_ "

"Quite unfortunate indeed" he agreed with a pensive nod.

"Given the impressive amount of invitations I received I suppose you have something important to discuss with me?"

"I wanted to ask you further about Dolabella"

"I already told you everything I know"

Lector smiled and clicked his tongue. "Please excuse my dissent, but I believe you've been keeping a vital information from me"

She stared at him with distrust. "And what is it?"

"You haven't told me anything about Isis"

The name made her body freeze immediately. "Why should his _soror_ interest you?"

"A little birdie told me that the senator usually brings her and Reba along in his journeys. Quite the tight family, always sticking together"

Pyra looked around in discomfort, as if she was scared that someone could hear very delicate matters; then she slightly parted the delicate fabric draped around the ceiling of her _lectica_ and ordered her _servi_ to bring her to a hidden road on their left. She got off and walked towards Lector, draping her arm around his bicep. "Why don't we have a walk together?"

"Of course"

"What do you want to know?"

"For starters, I'd like to know a bit about her. I hear she has a very... _peculiaris_ appearance"

"So you didn't meet her personally?"

"Unfortunately not"

Pyra scoffed. "Believe me when I say that it's for the better. She has a thing for handsome men, and you'd be quite the catch"

"And I take it that such advances should not be encouraged?"

"Definitely. She has some weird attachments"

"Who is she really?"

"Dolabella's younger _soror_ "

"I think you meant younger _frater_ " he corrected her.

She looked at him dead in the eyes as a warning. "Do never address her as a 'him' ever again"

"Isis doesn't like it?"

"Her _ornatrix_ once addressed her by birthname and she carved her eye out with a _fibula_ "

Hannibal could almost picture the scene and that slightly amused him. "How very rude"

The rethorical question he got as a reply was covered in sarcasm: "Right?" 

They circled around a few blocks and discussed some further details with Pyra telling him all about Dolabella's parents, how they mistreated their children because of their very odd interests and the beatings Franciscus would get in Isis' place; once it got so bad it cost the man his soft palate, hence the scar on the lip. She even told him the _soror_ 's real name, though he made him swear not to ever pronounce it in her presence.

"And how could I ever get to meet such a lovely creature?"

Pyra's gaze was reduced to two small cracks as she tried to wrap her head around the odd request her interlocutor had just asked. "Why would you ever want to meet her, especially now that you know what she is?"

"Because she happens to have travelled to _Kórinthos_ some time ago"

"Will was certainly a beauty to behold. He may have gotten her attentions"

Hannibal was surprised and admittedly pleased at how quickly the _matrona_ had understood the circumstances, ignoring for a few minutes her bursts of arrogance that got on his nerves every time she opened her mouth. 

"It's a death wish on your party, though"

"And why is that?"

"If they really met each other, both Franciscus and Isis took some serious precautions to prevent anyone from ever finding anything out. And believe me, if they'll catch you sniffing around stuff that you're not supposed to know, they'll find a way to make you shut up forever"

"Is that why you were so reticent in giving me the real informations I needed?"

"Call it survival instincts. I'm quite fond of my own skin"

That last phrase was a bit too hokey for both the woman and the topic of the discussion, which made the senator a bit more wary; alas, he didn't comment on the situation. They soon returned to where she had left her _servi_ with the _lectica_.

"It's been a pleasure talking to you" he said, offering her a hand as she sat back on the small _culcita_.

"Same here. See you around" she waved him off.

He watched as the party slowly walked away and disappeared in the sea of crowded streets in front of him pondering as to what his next move was. An idea suddenly crawled up from the hidden recesses of his _cerebrum_ , and he walked back to his _domus_ in his sunset as the plan in his mind slowly took shape.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -"Servi", "slaves";
> 
> -"Peculiaris", "peculiar";
> 
> -"Frater", "brother";
> 
> -"Ornatrix", something similar to a hairdresser, basically a woman who was paid to wash, comb and wax a matrona's hair;
> 
> -"Fibula", "pin" or "buckle", in this case "hair pin";
> 
> -"Culcita", "cushion" or "mattress", in this case the small mattress on the lectica.


	24. Odusia

When Lector got back to his _domus_ Margit was waiting for him on the front porch.

"Welcome back, _dominus_ " she smiled.

"Thank you Margit. Please take a walk with me, I'd like to discuss with you about something"

The liberta nodded and followed him in his stroll. "What is it?"

"You've met Isis, right? What did you talk about?"

She looked up pensively, trying to gather everything in her mind as she spoke. "Um, it was mostly small talk. She mentioned something about Dolabella's parents being long dead and how they deserved it, I got introduced to her dog Pretiosus and she described some of her travels with both Reba and the senator"

He hummed. "I see. Anything else?"

"Nothing that I- oh! She mentioned being interested in collecting _papiliones_ "

"Dead ones?"

"Yeah. That, I must say, is one of the things that creeped me out more about her"

Hannibal stopped on his tracks. "Thank you for the informations"

Margit shook her head. "It's nothing. But, if I may, I think you should really be careful"

"You're not the first to warn me against Isis"

"Then it should be a red flag"

"I promise you no harm will be done on either me or her"

The liberta scoffed. "I don't care about her, but I don't want to see you come back here with your head detached from the body"

The senator chuckled. "I'll manage to come back in one piece"

She sighed: it was clear that nothing she could say or do would persuade her _dominus_ from approaching the Dolabellas. When she turned around she noticed Alana standing not far from there. "Alana!"

The brunette smiled. "I think I may be of assistance, Hannibal"

He rose an eyebrow. "Is that so"

The matrona nodded and looked at the _liberta_ , then right back at the senator. "My husband happens to be hosting a _coena_ a week from now. A lot of _senatores_ are invited, Dolabella included. That means that Reba will be attending as well"

"And what does that have to do with Isis?" asked Margit confused.

"Senator Bolenus' _domus_ is huge and many _senatores_ will surely attend" answered her Hannibal.

"I still don't follow you"

Alana wrapped her arm around her small waist. "That means that Draco will be distracted by more than the two or three guests Hannibal invited here last time. And he's gonna have to leave Reba behind at some time. And what do we know about Reba's rules?"

"That she's never to be left alone, unless inside their _domus_ " finished Lector.

The brunette grinned. "And who's better at keeping an eye on her than Isis dearest?"

"Why are you helping _dominus_ , though?" questioned the _liberta_.

"I called in a small favour. Besides, I'm sure that Bolanus would benefit a lot by learning more about Dolabella" informed her Hannibal.

And it was true. Senator Bolanus was second in line, beside Dolabella, in the group of senatores closer to the _augustus_. If he played his cards right and sow the seed of doubt in the _princeps_ towards Franciscus, it was basically a certainty that he'd take his place as the more trusted advisor; and from that everyone else would benefit as well. Bolanus was well liked by everyone, always had something wise to say and weighted in his speeches, never stepping over the line. Hannibal had a sort of admiration for the man and was more than happy to call him a pleasant acquaintance, and also call his wife one of his very few good friends.

"You're right. I suggested the _coena_ to Alceus three days ago, and he's also thinking about it as an incentive to gather favour between the other _senatores_ "

"So all we have to do now is wait" noted Margit.

"Pretty much" replied Alana. 

"There's still something I want to do before I meet Isis" 

"Do we want to know what?" asked Alana dryly. 

"I highly doubt that"

The brunette dismissed herself, still embracing the _liberta_. "Suit yourself". 

The senator let them walk away and headed for his _bibliotheca_ , wanting to make sure of something. As he entered, he was surprised to see a a short man with a mop of unruly curls.

Will turned his attention away from the old-looking _volumina_ his hands were delicately touching on to the senator standing against the doorframe; the curious hand was immediately brought back against his lap. " _Dispotaés_ , you're earlier than usual".

Hannibal's eyes looked at the shelf in front of the greek man, then went back to the delicate features of his face. " _Namque nullum peius macerat humanum quamde mare saevom: vires cui sunt magnae topper confrigent inportunae undae_ "*

"Huh?"

"The _volumen_ you were touching. That's the _Odusia_. You should know it as _Odýsseia_ though"

"The tales of the _polýtropos_ and his ten years journey to go back to his beloved _Ithákae_ "

The senator was pleased by the reply. "Once upon a long time ago there was a young man from _Tarentum_ who was brought here, to _Roma_ , to be sold as a slave to an illustrious _gens_. So great were his merits as a tutor and servant of the _familia_ , thanks to the thorough education in both _Graecus sermo_ and _Graeciae litterae_ he got in his youth, that his _dominus_ not only to granted him freedom as a _libertus_ , but also gave him his own _nomen_ , Livius. He spent his life trying to introduce his culture to _Roma_ ; the _Odusia_ is one of that man's biggest works"*

"Twenty-four, um, _libri_? That man translated a twenty-four _libri nóstos_?"

"Yes"

Will quickly batted his eyelids as his eyebrows shot up, unable to believe what the other had just said. "That's like crazy smart"

"Not if you have the right inclination"

"I don't"

Hannibal smiled. "No, I suppose not. But your progresses in the _Latinus sermo_ are quite remarkable despite your general refusal for everything else here. We don't have to hop from your language to mine so much anymore"

That did strike the greek man's pride a little; admitting that he was growing fond of some of _Roma_ 's customs, such as the armonious language, was difficult for someone like him. He looked at the _Odusia_ once again. "I wonder how he managed to keep the meaning of the words while translating. Though our languages share some similar structures, the _lexikón_ is fairly different"

Lector noticed how the other had quickly tried to build mind walls against him. "Some words, such as the title, are casts to mirror the original significance; many others are quite unfamiliar to even the more learned among us, as they belong to a higher and solemn _dictionarium_ "

"And I'm sure you're not one of those" Will replied with the faintest hint of irony.

Hannibal's smile did not betray a single trace of arrogance.

"Every day I discover more and more about how much of a romantic soul you truly are, _dispotaés_. Reading about the gods' rage, the undying love of a faithful wife, wasn't something I thought you'd enjoy"

"That's how I myself learned the language. A relative of my _pater_ , the one who brought me here, gave it to me as a present from him"

Will could almost imagine a skinny little boy with disheveled dirty blonde hair and big brown eyes spending the days reading about a man sailing around the _Megále Thálassa_ , dreaming of meeting his own _Paenelópae_ , someone to always go back to. He himself had one, before Dolabella. " _Odysséus_ sure portrays the epitome of the modern man. Ductile and shrewd, but also strong and courageous"

"Your words are kind, but the tone doesn't sound as fond"

"It's just that... I don't know. His wife waits for years for him to come back to _Ithákae_ and remains faithful while he... just goes on and shares love with other women during the trip"

"What's wrong with that?"

"I know, I know. I'm just coming off as weird"

Lector studied the other's reaction carefully. "You're not weird, Will. Just very devoted"

"Which is very bad"

"Why?"

"It got me in trouble"

"You're talking about your wife, right?"

"...Yeah..."

Hannibal made an effort not to groan in front of him. Despite everything they had shared, his thoughts still went to a dead woman. "Why didn't you sleep with your wife?"

The other's eyes quickly shot up to stare into the senator's, warning him. "I really loved her"

"And your love for her prevented you from performing your duty as a husband?"

"I'd bring home food and treat her son as if it was mine. What more could I do?"

"Why didn't you provide her with a son of your own?"

"I just... didn't feel the need to, ok?"

"Were you not attracted to her?"

Will rubbed a hand on his face, exhasperated. "Look, there was nothing wrong with her. She was a lovely woman, a caring mother and an affectionate wife. Respectful and decent. It's not because of her"

Lector just got his answer.

"It's just that I don't feel the need for a, huh, physical manifestation of my affections"

"Then why did you let me have my way with you?"

The greek man's cheeks suddenly reddened. "You're different"

"From her?"

"From anyone I've ever met"

"Would you want to have a child with me?"

A nervous laughter slipped through Will's teeth. "Is this a joke?"

"No"

He was speechless. He had looked into Hannibal's eyes, trying to find even the slightest hint of mockery, only to see how serious his intentions really were. "I don't think that would even be possible"

"What if I told you it is?"

He faltered. "Then I'd say I don't want to"

The senator slowly walked towards Will, making him step back further and further till his back met the wall. Once he was completely blocked, he leaned in until their lips almost touched, and noticed how the other's eyelids squeezed shut and the lips quivered, ready to be kissed. "And I wouldn't believe you" he whispered.

The greek man's eyes opened once again. "Then show me" he whispered back while staring at Lector's lips.

Hannibal's hand tenderly caressed his cheek, then slid down the delicate neck and the scarred shoulder, tracing every muscle of the toned arm. The way Will's entire body flickered and leaned into the touch made his heart melt; so many years of being deprived real affection, an intimate connection with someone, anyone. So alone, even when he had a family of his own. It was when his own fingers affectionately intertwined with the other's that he finally spoke again: "Come with me"; then he slowly dragged him by hand out of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -"Bibliotheca", room of a domus akin to our "library", only the wealthiest in Roma had the privilege of owning one, as it was a symbol of richness both in money and mind. Of course with Lector being a notorious senator from a wealthy family it wouldn't be a far stretch for him to have one; 
> 
> -"Volumina", plural for "volumen". In Ancient Rome books were written on parchments made of animal skin or papyrus and had two different names depending on how you had to read them: the volumen was to be read horizontally, the rotulus vertically. The modern concept of a hard-covered book comes from the 'codex' (the union of a set of tablets, to indicate a set of sewn and bound sheets) which was used in Egypt for religious texts but not so much in the Empire, as it required a lot more work and expenses to produce one. Its popularity mainly comes from later times, especially with the advent of the amanuensis monks;
> 
> -"Namque...undae"*, "Because nothing weakens more the human nature than a stormy sea: even he who has greater strength soon will be annihilated by waves that give no escape" (Livius Andronicus, Odusia fragment);
> 
> -"Odysseia", "Odyssey" by Homer;
> 
> -"Polytropos", " man of many resources"; an epithet of Odysseus; 
> 
> -"Ithakae", "Ithaca";
> 
> -"Graecus sermo", "greek language";
> 
> -"Greciae litterae", "greek literature";
> 
> -"Nomen", the name of the gens (akin to our surname);
> 
> -"Once upon a long time...biggest works"*, Lector is talking about a real man's life, the author of the Odusia Livius Andronicus;
> 
> -"Nostos", "trip back home" (the Odyssey is part of an entire cycle of "nostoi" or "return trips", each one describing the return of one of the Iliad's heroes back home, books that unfortunately got lost in time, except for the Odyssey in its entirety and a few fragments from other works);
> 
> -"Liber", "book", intended as the partition of chapters in a tale (the Odyssey has 24 books);
> 
> -"Lexikon", "lexicon";
> 
> -"Dictionarium", "dictionary";
> 
> -"Megale Thalassa", the Mediterraneum Sea;
> 
> -"Paenelopae", "Penelope";
> 
> -At this point I think I should make a small disclosure about Will: although he may come off as asexual trough the story, he's actually demisexual. At least, those are the vibes that I got while watching the show, and decided to give him that same trait in my FF. Just for the sake of forming an impartial but informed opinion, here's some quotes I've gathered from an article on the subject:
> 
> " _...Demisexuality is a sexual orientation where people only experience sexual attraction to folks that they have close emotional connections with. In other words, demisexual people only experience sexual attraction after an emotional bond has formed... This emotional bond isn’t necessarily love or romance. For some demisexual people, it may be friendship — including platonic friendship. They might not necessarily love the person — whether romantically or platonically — at all... The difference is that demisexuality isn’t about having sex. It’s about the ability to feel sexual attraction to specific people... Heterosexual men are sexually attracted to women, but they’re not necessarily attracted to every woman they meet. Similarly, demisexuality doesn’t mean that a demisexual person is attracted to everyone they have a deep emotional bond with..._ "
> 
> So, I'm sure Will deeply loved his wife, just didn't feel the need for physical intimacy with her. With Hannibal, instead, there's a weird connection that blurs the line between love and bromance that however doesn't prevent Will from feeling sexual attractions towards him. Maybe I'll add it to the tags? Let me know your opinion!


End file.
